The Disputed Field of Surrogacy: Experiences of 5 Mexican Surrogates. Intersection between Power, Inequality, and ‘Disinterested Acts’

This presentation will discuss the key findings of a doctoral research study that explored how the experiences of five surrogates women involved in surrogacy agreements in Mexico, contributed to the construction of meanings and practices within what I have termed a "field in tension." This field is characterized by the participation of international actors, predominantly from countries of the so-called "Global North" who demand this practice and find in developing countries an opportunity to access it.

The aim was to understand how the interviewees constructed symbolic worlds and, as a result, directed their actions, attitudes, and sense-making during their participation in these agreements. Their experiences were situated within their objective and social conditions, allowing to observe the various axes of oppression that intersected their lives and to contextualize these with the choices they made throughout the process.

Pierre Bourdieu’s Theory of Fields, alongside his concept of habitus, served as the primary theoretical and methodological framework for interpreting the results, while grounded theory was used for the systematization and analysis of data.

The results indicated that the dominant axis in this field strives to ascribe an altruistic meaning to surrogacy, one that is assumed to benefit all parties involved. This “disinterested” approach, in terms of P. Bourdieu, translates into the accumulation of symbolic and economic power. The underlying representation of these discourses stems from a capitalist and neoliberal ideology, in which the oppressed are expected to willingly submit to their exploitation as their only viable option. For women, this is further exacerbated by patriarchy, which also demands that they sell their bodies and reproductive capacities while being expected to express happiness and gratitude for doing so.