Social Work, Social Policy & Bodily Autonomy

Catalog description

This course will explore the concept of bodily autonomy in social work and social policy in the United States. Students will engage with a variety of contemporary topics related to bodily autonomy, such as reproductive justice, trans healthcare, the right to die, sexuality and disability, sex work, intersex rights, circumcision, and vaccine mandates. Students will analyze multiple perspectives on bodily autonomy, grounding their analyses in theoretical approaches to bodily autonomy and the role of the state in regulating individual bodies. Specific attention will be paid to the ways in which social policy limiting bodily autonomy impacts people differently across intersecting identities of race, class, age, gender, sexual orientation and ability. We will examine the current and historical role of the social work profession in responding to the highly politicized topics through which challenges to bodily autonomy emerge.