Thárros and Hýbris: the Different Faces of Motherhood in Assisted Reproduction

Abstract

This contribution will present the results of part of the research project “Medically assisted procreation, surrogacy, artificial womb: new ethical and socio-cultural challenges.” The study is part of the PRIN 2022 (Research Projects of National Interest) project “XXX”, which involves three Italian universities: the University of XXXX, the University of XXX, and the University of XXX.

Specifically, the team at the local unit of the University of XXX consisted of me, XXX (Principal Investigator – Department of XXXX), XXX (Department of XXX), and XXX (Department of XXX). The quantitative survey was conducted with XXX (University of XXX).

The survey aimed to identify what new cultural perspectives on motherhood, fatherhood, parenthood, and the body are being produced (concretely and potentially) by procreative techniques.

A small part of the questionnaire aimed to capture social perceptions by analyzing emotional responses. Specifically, the research questions in this part of the questionnaire were: in the social imaginary, what emotions does a woman who is infertile or, for professional reasons, decides to use reproductive technologies feel? What emotions might a surrogate mother who decides to conceive a child for a commissioning couple feel?