The Process of Subjectively Appropriating Sexual Rights: Notes for Discussion

This article attempts to reflect on the subjective processes through which people recognize and authorize themselves to make use of their bodies, sexuality and reproduction, and manage to demand the social, economic and institutional conditions to enforce these decisions. On the basis of the experie...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Amuchástegui Herrera, Ana, Rivas Zivy, Marta
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2004
País:México
Institución:EL COLEGIO DE MÉXICO
Repositorio:Estudios Demográficos y Urbanos
Idioma:español
OAI Identifier:oai:oai.estudiosdemograficosyurbanos.colmex.mx:article/1181
Acceso en línea:https://estudiosdemograficosyurbanos.colmex.mx/index.php/edu/article/view/1181
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:sexual rights
reproductive rights
citizenship
gender
Mexico
derechos sexuales
derechos reproductivos
ciudadanía
género
México
Descripción
Sumario:This article attempts to reflect on the subjective processes through which people recognize and authorize themselves to make use of their bodies, sexuality and reproduction, and manage to demand the social, economic and institutional conditions to enforce these decisions. On the basis of the experience of qualitative research with men and women in various contexts in Mexico and Foucault’s work on ethical issues at different times in western societies, the author suggests that decisions regarding one’s own reproduction take different subjective paths from those related to the search for sexual pleasure, particularly because of the importance of Catholic morality in the history of Mexico. Moreover, the different meanings of pleasure and reproduction also vary according to gender and men and women’s experience of desire and procreation. In order to contribute elements to the debate on the concept of sexual rights, the author analyzes the importance of these cultural and subjective processes in constructing a civic ethics of sexuality, in the sense of promoting political participation in the establishing the conditions for the search for pleasure.