Abstract

DONOSO, Claudia Calquín; GUINEZ, Jennifer Cerda  and  YANEZ-URBINA, Cristopher. The production of the fetus as a “subject of rights”: qualitative analysis of medical-Catholic discourses in Chile. Salud colect. [online]. 2018, vol.14, n.3, pp.391-403. ISSN 1669-2381.  http://dx.doi.org/10.18294/sc.2018.1873.

This article presents the results of a study aimed at identifying and analyzing the discursive construction of the fetus as a subject of rights on the part of medical-religious institutions in the discussion of the decriminalization of abortion due to three causes in Chile during the 2013-2016 period. To this end, a triangulation was carried out based on an analysis of thematic content and an analysis of certain discursive strategies from the critical discourse analysis perspective using a textual corpus composed of 16 documents. Four analytical themes were identified: factual construction, female pastoral power, biopolitical management of the female body, and intervention technologies. It is concluded that the medical-religious discourse uses a series of rhetorical strategies and mobilizes meanings with respect to the fetus based on the hybridization of rhetorical strategies such as resources of factualization, connotation, metaphor and others that validate metaphysical beliefs about the body and the subjectivity of women and allow for an authoritative and irrefutable voice. Thus, the biopolitical management of women’s reproductive capacities constitutes a filter that obstructs the possibility of incorporating discussions and ethical positions linked to citizenship and the social contract.

Keywords : Abortion; Gender; Draft Bill; Qualitative Research; Chile.

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