Technologies of contraception and abortion

Soon to turn 60, the oral contraceptive pill still dominates histories of technology in the ‘sexual revolution’ and after. ‘The pill’ was revolutionary for many, though by no means all, women in the west, but there have always been alternatives, and looking globally yields a different picture. The condom, intrauterine device (IUD), surgical sterilization (male and female) and abortion were all transformed in the twentieth century, some more than once. Today, female sterilization (tubal ligation) and IUDs are the world's most commonly used technologies of contraception. The pill is in third place, followed closely by the condom. Long-acting hormonal injections are most frequently used in parts of Africa, male sterilization by vasectomy is unusually prevalent in Britain, and about one in five pregnancies worldwide ends in induced abortion. Though contraceptive use has generally increased in recent decades, the disparity between rich and poor countries is striking: the former tend to use condoms and pills, the latter sterilization and IUDs. Contraception, a term dating from the late nineteenth century and since then often conflated with abortion, has existed in many forms, and techniques have changed and proliferated over time. Diverse local cultures have embraced new technologies while maintaining older practices. Focusing on Britain and the United States, with excursions to India, China and France, this chapter shows how the patterns observed today were established and stabilized, often despite persistent criticism and reform efforts. By examining past innovation, and the distribution and use of a variety of tools and techniques, it reconsiders some widely held assumptions about what counts as revolutionary and for whom. Analytically, it takes up and reflects on one of the main issues raised by feminists and social historians: the agency of users as patients and consumers faced with choice and coercion. By examining practices of contraception alongside those of abortion, it revisits the knotty question of technology in the sexual revolution and the related themes of medical, legal, religious and political forms of control

Changes and Omissions in a Tornaviaje Portrait: The Malleability of Pictorial Messages

Este trabajo analiza un retrato inédito de un alto funcionario ilustrado borbónico -don Francisco Leandro de Viana Sáenz de Villaverde, conde de Tepa- de mano del pintor novohispano Andrés de Islas (h. 1730-h. 1783). La obra es un claro ejemplo de la forma en que los lienzos podían trastocarse para trasmitir nuevos mensajes: es decir, de la manera en que algunas obras, al igual que los documentos escritos, podían modificarse para trasmitir nuevos mensajes. El estudio se sirve de varias herramientas del campo de la restauración para atisbar los mensajes cambiantes de esta obra de tornaviaje. Se incluyen, además, otras semblanzas inéditas del retratado para ampliar el contexto de este encargo y proveer una mirada más amplia de la circulación de las obras y personas en la ancha geografía del mundo hispánico.This essay focuses on an unpublished portrait of an important Enlightenment Bourbon functionary-Don Francisco Leandro de Viana Sáenz de Villaverde, count of Tepa-by the New Spanish painter Andrés de Islas (ca. 1730-ca. 1783). The work is emblematic of the way in which paintings could be altered to transmit particular messages; that is, how some works, much like written documents, could be activated and re-activated to convey different information. The study resorts to various technologies from the field of conservation to gain insight into the shifting meanings of this export picture (pintura de tornaviaje). It also addresses other unpublished portraits of the sitter to better contextualize the commission, and provide a wider view of the mobility of people and artworks throughout the vast Spanish world.Área de Historia del Arte. Universidad Pablo de Olavide, SevillaVersión del edito

The Challenge of Moving from Pockets of Excellence to Institutional Priority

Fifteen members of MassArt attended last year’s Bridgewater conference. This group felt a strong, shared purpose following the gathering, which led to a joint declaration of values of diversity and social justice. The process prompted a renewed emphasis on issues of diversity and social justice at MassArt at a time of tremendous institutional changes. This presentation highlights “pockets of excellence” at MassArt, including best practices in teaching/learning, the Center for Art and Community Partnerships, and the Adderley Lecture Series. Likewise, the presentation identifies challenges, including the development of systems to link the ‘pockets of excellence,’ leadership support and vision, and professional development