(Photo by Bryce Richter / UW–Madison)
An exciting new course this fall will give students the opportunity to explore reproductive health, rights, and justice in the United States and across the globe. This is the first time that the Sandra Rosenbaum School of Social Work has offered Soc Work 675: Reproductive Justice.
Assistant Professor Celina Doria, whose work addresses questions at the intersection of reproductive justice, gender-based violence, and state violence, will teach the course.
The following is a Q&A with Dr. Doria about the course and what students can expect.
Who can take the course?
This course is open to all graduate students and undergraduate students with junior standing or higher who are interested in learning more about issues of reproductive health, rights, and justice.
Why is a course on reproductive justice important?
We are living in a moment of ongoing attacks on bodily autonomy, from abortion bans to threats against trans rights. Now, it is more critical than ever to put these issues into context, understanding the historical and contemporary power structures that sustain threats to bodily freedom. This course will help students critically analyze how race, class, gender, and other factors intersect to shape reproductive autonomy, and envision a new future of resistance, care, and justice.
In what way is a school of social work positioned to offer a course like this?
The framework of Reproductive Justice provides an intersectional lens for understanding how people’s reproductive lives, bodily autonomy, and community well-being are shaped by historical injustices and ongoing forms of systemic oppression. This framework aligns closely with the core values of social work, which emphasize human rights and social justice. Grounded in these principles, our School of Social Work is uniquely positioned to offer this course, equipping students to critically examine structural barriers to reproductive freedom and to advocate for policies and practices that promote social justice.
What can students expect?
Through dynamic lectures, in-depth discussions, and creative assignments, we will explore topics of reproductive health, rights, and justice in the United States and across the globe. We will critically analyze how systems of oppression—including racism, colonization, mass incarceration, ableism, and environmental destruction, among others—shape people’s experiences of and access to reproductive (in)justice and bodily autonomy. We will explore a diverse range of topics including, but not limited to, access to abortion and contraception; reproductive coercion and gender-based violence; the criminalization of pregnancy; forced sterilizations; and maternal mortality. This course also highlights past and ongoing efforts to resist systems of oppression and fight for a more just world.
What do you suspect our school’s community partners might say about us offering a course on RJ?
Social workers often support clients who must navigate complex systems that impact their reproductive health. Integrating a course on reproductive justice into the curriculum ensures that future social workers are equipped with a deep understanding of intersectionality, bodily autonomy, and the structural factors that shape reproductive outcomes. This foundation prepares them to advocate more effectively for individuals and communities, and to work toward systemic change.
More information:
Soc Work 675: Reproductive Justice
Tuesdays, 3:30 PM – 5:25 PM
Fall 2025
Information in the UW-Madison Guide