5th ISA Forum of Sociology (6-11 July 2025)

In recent decades, significant global transformations in reproductive health have emerged due to scientific developments, expanding reproductive possibilities. These changes vary across local settings. Users´ experiences offer perspectives on sexuality, reproduction, and parental projects within different sociocultural contexts. Transformations in kinship relationships and the construction of parental projects challenge views on parenthood, gestation, identity, and the relationship with biology and genetics. This session examines the historical, cultural, ethical, religious, and policy implications of assisted reproductive technologies (ART) and emphasizes the role of religious beliefs in shaping ART users' perceptions and experiences, providing a comparative analysis of diverse ART practices among different settings. It aims to analize global discourse on ART, exploring how gender, religion, and national policies intersect to shape reproductive experiences and ethical repertoires. The session also delves into the sociocultural history of the human embryo and examines beliefs and attitudes toward embryos produced via ART, highlighting the negotiation between science and religion in different contexts.

We welcome theoretical and empirical approaches on the following areas:

• Public policies and regulations in reproductive health.
• Relationships between science, technology, and reproduction.
• Kinship relationships and new reproductive technologies.
• Religious conservatism and reproductive health.
• Ethical and bioethical perspectives in reproductive health.
• Perspectives of professionals, experts, or users in reproductive health.
• Ontological debates on cryopreserved human gametes and embryos