Paterson, Stephanie

The chapter, "Girl power and the pill: Unpacking web-based marketing for Alesse and Yasmin" was written by Alison M. Thomas (Douglas College Faculty). Interrogating and integrating the various aspects of women's reproductive lives to expose the political dimensions of reproduction. Ideas of choice and rights traditionally dominate discussions concerning reproduction and gender politics. Fertile Ground argues that the current political climate in Canada necessitates a broader understanding of the links between the politics of reproduction, the state, and gender relations. Three major themes are developed in the book: women's lived experiences, the role of the state in reproductive politics, and discourses around reproduction. Contributors examine unequal access to in vitro fertilization treatments depending upon class, race, age, disability, and health status; critique Health Canada's adherence to a medical model of breastfeeding; analyze marketing campaigns for birth-control products; and recount the Aamjiwnaang First Nation's experience of seeking recognition for reproductive health concerns. Fertile Ground links reproduction to marginalization, contestation, and the state in order to illuminate the continuity of reproductive moments and their implications for identity, activism, policy formation, and further scholarship. A timely and multidisciplinary account of reproduction and gender politics in Canada, Fertile Ground will interest academics, activists, and professionals involved in the areas of women’s studies, politics, sociology, and public health. -- From publisher description.

Nova Scotia’s Guide for Girls and Manitoba’s 4 Girls Only! represent recent shifts in policy that aim to include and empower young women vis-a-vis public policy. In this article, we analyze these manuals, illuminating the ways in which young women are configured as subjects in late modern capitalist societies such as Canada. We show that, as neoliberal subjects, young women are increas- ingly expected to be autonomous and self-governing yet appear to require guidance to follow the right path towards future ideal neoliberal citizenship. Thus, despite their notable intentions, the manuals identify and target certain forms of conduct as problematic, eschewing a broader discussion of the structural causes of a variety of social problems such as poverty, unemployment, poor health, sexual violence, and stress, thus raising important questions regarding policy by, for, and about young women.