The new kinship
Subtitle: constructing donor-conceived families
By: Naomi Cahn
Series: Families, law, and society series
Publisher: New York University Press
Published: 2012
Place of publication: New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 242
ISBN-13: 9780814772034; 9780814772041; 9780814790328
Subjects: Human reproductive technology; Sperm donors; Parent and child (Law); Ovum donors; Social aspects; Law and legislation; Families; Legal status, laws
Description: "No federal law in the United States requires that egg or sperm donors or recipients exchange any information with the offspring that result from the donation. The parents may know the donor's hair color, height, IQ, college, and profession; they may even have heard the donor's voice. But they don't know the donor's name, nor do they have access to their medical history, or other information that might play a key role in a child's development. And, until recently, donor-conceived offspring often didn't know that one of their biological parents was a donor. But the secrecy surrounding the use of donor eggs and sperm is changing. And as it does, increasing numbers of parents and donor-conceived offspring are searching for others who share the same biological heritage. When donors, recipients, and 'donor offspring' find each other, they create new forms of families. The New Kinship details how families are made and how bonds are created between families in the brave new world of reproductive technology. Naomi Cahn, a nationally-recognized expert on reproductive technology and the law, shows how these new kinship bonds dramatically exemplify the ongoing cultural change in how we think about family. The issues Cahn explores in this book will resonate with anyone - and everyone - who cares about the formation and shape of family and community"--Unedited summary from book jacket.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.
Table of contents: title: Peopling the donor world; title: The meaning of family in a changing world; title: Creating families; title: Creating communities across families; title: The laws of the donor world: parents and children; title: Law, adoption, and family secrets: disclosure and incest; title: Reasons to regulate; title: Regulating for connection; title: Regulating for health and safety: setting limits in the gamete world; title: Why not to regulate; title: Conclusion: challenging and creating kinship.