Abstract
Widely known as a global exporter of cryopreserved sperm, Danish women’s eggs follow very
different trajectories. This paper identifies the cultural and normative imaginaries, which are
expressed in parliamentary and public debates on social egg freezing in Denmark. We use the
concept of sociotechnical imaginaries (Jasanoff, 2015) to demonstrate how imaginaries are not
merely hoped-for-futures but also embedded within the nexus of cultural, legal, and political
milieus. To expound on what imaginaries has shaped the Danish regulation on the cryopreservation
of eggs, we trace the bills, their three readings in Parliament and the concurrent public and ethical
debates that in time relaxed the legal limit for the cryopreservation of eggs from the initial proposed
1 year limit to the current 5 years and today ignite discussions on elective egg freezing. We then
discuss how those imaginaries differ or are consistent with the general perception in law,
parliamentary, and public debate. Relying on welfare state theory, we discuss why reproduction in
the Danish context is seen as a legitimate and appropriate sphere to regulate, while we turn to
feminist theorizing to discuss their gendered implications
different trajectories. This paper identifies the cultural and normative imaginaries, which are
expressed in parliamentary and public debates on social egg freezing in Denmark. We use the
concept of sociotechnical imaginaries (Jasanoff, 2015) to demonstrate how imaginaries are not
merely hoped-for-futures but also embedded within the nexus of cultural, legal, and political
milieus. To expound on what imaginaries has shaped the Danish regulation on the cryopreservation
of eggs, we trace the bills, their three readings in Parliament and the concurrent public and ethical
debates that in time relaxed the legal limit for the cryopreservation of eggs from the initial proposed
1 year limit to the current 5 years and today ignite discussions on elective egg freezing. We then
discuss how those imaginaries differ or are consistent with the general perception in law,
parliamentary, and public debate. Relying on welfare state theory, we discuss why reproduction in
the Danish context is seen as a legitimate and appropriate sphere to regulate, while we turn to
feminist theorizing to discuss their gendered implications
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Publication date | Sept 2017 |
| Publication status | Published - Sept 2017 |
| Event | Frozen: Social and Bioethical Aspects of Cryo-Fertility: Minerva Gentner Symposium - Tel Aviv Academic College, Tel Aviv, Israel Duration: 1 Oct 2017 → 4 Oct 2017 |
Workshop
| Workshop | Frozen: Social and Bioethical Aspects of Cryo-Fertility |
|---|---|
| Location | Tel Aviv Academic College |
| Country/Territory | Israel |
| City | Tel Aviv |
| Period | 01/10/2017 → 04/10/2017 |