This course examines the important history of women and medicine in China by focusing on one of the most prominent areas: women’s reproductive health. It discusses how a variety of actors conceptualized, discussed, constructed, or even contested Chinese women’s reproductive health and bodies from the imperial period to the twentieth century. Employing a thematic rather than a chronological approach, this course covers a series of prominent themes related to women’s reproduction, ranging from theorizations of the female reproductive body in classic works, to pragmatic and scientific practices in managing reproductive ailments such as menstruation, miscarriage, childbirth, and prenatal and postpartum care. This course also analyzes the important role that science and technology played in the development of women’s reproductive health. Through a focused study on women’s reproductive health in the Chinese context, this course aims to equip students with historical knowledge, critical thinking abilities, and analytical skills to reflect on issues about women, medicine, and science in other cultural and national contexts.
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