Balsoy, Gülhan
The Politics of Reproduction in Ottoman Society, 1838–1900
Epidemics, migration and territorial losses led to population decline in early nineteenth-century Turkey. In response, Ottoman elites began a programme of population growth, based on increased birth rate and reduced infant mortality. Three policies were initiated to achieve this: the professionalization of midwives, a ban on abortion and greater medical care during pregnancy. Balsoy uses previously untapped archival sources to examine these developments, arguing that these changes caused reproduction to become a political experience.
Review by Kim Jezabel Zinngrebe on the Feminist and Women's Studies Association Blog (23.11.2014)
