| Unit name | Reproduction Law, Ethics, and Policy |
|---|---|
| Unit code | LAWD30068 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | H/6 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 4 (weeks 1-24) |
| Unit director | Professor. Sheelagh McGuinness |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None. |
| Co-requisites |
None. |
| School/department | University of Bristol Law School |
| Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
This unit aims to give students the opportunity to gain knowledge and critical understanding of the relationship between law and reproduction in the United Kingdom and internationally. The unit will be grounded in a socio-legal approach; this allows students to think critically and analytically about the historical, cultural, and ethical underpinnings of regulation of reproduction. At the start of the unit the students are introduced to how the law regulates reproductive health and arguments based in reproductive justice. From there we move on to consider specific aspects of sexual and reproductive health law and policy. Although the focus will be on reproduction the unit will give students the opportunity to think critically about the interplay between public and private choices and specifically the place of law in regulating intimate activities. Students will spend much of their time critically assessing the concepts of privacy, liberty, and justice as applied in the sphere of reproduction.
Students who have successfully passed this unit will be able to
• identify and summarise the way in which society regulates reproductive choices and experiences
• critically assess theoretical frameworks that inform our understanding of the relationship between law and reproduction
• engage in reasoned debates (both written and oral) about the legitimacy of how we regulate reproduction and be able to defend their position when challenged with alternative or opposing arguments
• analyse and apply different theoretical frameworks to novel issues in law and reproduction
10 lectures and 10 two-hour seminars
1 x formative assessment (submitted for marking), plus additional informal formative feedback opportunities as indicated by the unit coordinator.
Formative assessments do not count towards final mark and can be optional.
2 x summative assessments (50% weighting each): 2 x 2,000 word coursework. Summative assessments do count towards final mark.
The assessments will assess all of the intended learning outcomes for this unit.
There is no core text for this course. Each seminar will contain details of relevant resources. The following textbook chapters provide useful background information for many of the issues covered on this course:
You are required to read the following book for the formative exercise in term 1:
