IntroductionOver time, surrogacy has become more broadly available to a variety of people (e.g. male same-sex couples or transgender women). Whether the wider public supports surrogacy, and what contributes to such support remains unclear. This study investigated what demographic and surrogacy arrangement-based (which people participate in the arrangement) factors shape attitudes towards surrogacy.MethodA representative sample of Dutch adults (N = 1,074) reported their attitudes on four (out of 30) randomly assigned vignettes in 2023. Each vignette described a surrogacy family with variations in sexuality and gender of parents, the social and genetic bonds between the parents, the surrogate, and the oocyte donor, and was followed by an attitude questionnaire (6 items). Multilevel regression analyses were conducted with attitudes as the dependent variable and demographic factors (gender, Dutch background, age, education, sexual orientation, urbanisation, and religiosity) and arrangement-based factors (parental composition, genetic and social bonds with the surrogate, and oocyte donors).ResultsParticipants held fairly positive attitudes towards surrogacy. People identifying as women, with only having a Dutch background, who were younger, more highly educated, non-heterosexual, or less religious were more likely to have positive attitudes. Participants had more positive attitudes if surrogacy arrangements entailed cis-man cis-woman parents compared to cis-man cis-man or transgender parents, and when there was no social bond between parents and oocyte donor.ConclusionsAttitudes are influenced by both demographic and arrangement-based factors. Based on these findings, families can be informed of fairly positive reactions they might encounter from their environment.
MULTIFILE
Ongeveer een derde van alle kinderen in Nederland groeit op in niet-traditionele gezinsverbanden (Staatscommissie Herijking Ouderschap, 2016). In sommige van deze gezinnen hebben de ouders hun kinderwens weten te realiseren met behulp van geassisteerde voortplantingstechnologieën, zoals gametendonatie (sperma of eicel) of embryo-donatie (Staatscommissie Herijking Ouderschap, 2016, Golombok, 2020a,b). Deze voortplantingstechnologie kan ook gecombineerd worden met een draagmoeder. In dat geval wordt een vrouw zwanger met de intentie het juridisch ouderschap na de geboorte over te dragen aan de wensouder(s). Binnen de draagmoederschapprocedure zijn er twee opties: traditioneel draagmoederschap, waarbij de draagmoeder zwanger is van haar eigen eicellen. De andere vorm is “gestational” draagmoederschap. Bij deze vorm is de draagmoeder niet genetisch verwant aan het kind. De draagmoeder kan zwanger zijn van een kind dat genetisch volledig verwant is aan de wensouders of zwanger van een kind dat zowel genetisch verwant is aan een wensouder en een donor. Tot slot zou het kind ook nog genetisch verwant kunnen zijn aan twee donoren en dus niet aan de wensouders.
LINK
This article introduces Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari’s concepts of smooth and striated space and couples these with the realms of art and technology. In doing so, and by analysing a case study, the dynamic natures and complex mixtures of art and technology are discussed. As a result, a perspective through which art and technology work together to enable new experiences opens up. The case study consists of Anja Hertenberger’s work entitled InBetween — an ongoing performance project in which she examines the reactions of people to her wearing an item of clothing which features a miniature camera on the front and a screen at the back. The article concludes by arguing that although Hertenberger’s performance concerns mediation, it mainly brings about immediate experiences that can be regarded as ‘imaginings’ rather than imaginations.
MULTIFILE
