The Anthropology of the Fetus

“This volume, offering a breadth of perspectives on the human foetus, appears at an important time. As the editors compellingly show in rich and complex detail, foetuses cannot exist apart from maternal bodies, and efforts to separate the two are further manifestations of the perennial struggle over who controls human reproduction.”• Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute (JRAI)

“This rich collection of work demonstrates that constructs surrounding the beginnings of life are deeply embedded within a specific historical and cultural context. There is no one truth about the foetus or its development, personhood or place in the world. Indeed, it is when we focus on the foetus that our long-held constructs regarding personhood, the life course and the body start to appear shaky, prompting a reconfiguration of the current edifice.”• Childhood in the Past. An International Journal

“The Anthropology of the Fetus is a rich and ambitious volume. The contributors draw on cutting-edge research and deep knowledge of their fields to further our understanding of the complex and liminal beings we call fetuses (the definitional subtleties of which are discussed throughout). Needless to say, the volume’s interdisciplinary breadth makes it a valuable resource for both teachers and researchers.”• Medical Anthropology Quarterly

“The volume’s contribution to scholarship and methods about fetuses and reproduction is first-rate.”• Anthropos

“This is an outstanding collection of articles, all based on original research, giving the volume a fresh feel.”• Eugenia Georges, Rice University