Nationalizing sex: fertility, fear, and power

Over the past 300 years, there have been countless attempts by governments of all types to control fertility and reproduction. Currently, more than 170 countries representing over 85% of humanity are actively trying to engineer how many children a person will have. Democratic, authoritarian, religious, secular, Western, Eastern and African states have all tried with little success to control individual fertility decisions. This book analyses the origins, growth and development of fertility as a national and international political issue; the rise and fall of the discourses used to ascribe meaning to natality; and the global proliferation of isomorphic policies adopted by widely dissimilar states.

Nationalizing Sex explains how governments worldwide have tried to nationalize sex and harness procreation as a tool of the state. By using case studies from France, Germany, Russia, India, and China it examines how population emerged as an object of governance and how natalist policy has changed over time and place. Nationalizing Sex analyzes the origins, growth, and development of fertility as a national and international political issue, the rise and fall of the narratives used to ascribe meaning to natality, and the global proliferation of oddly similar policies adopted by widely dissimilar states. Ultimately, this book explains why government seeks to harness the womb as a state resource.