SMEA24002U Reproductive Technologies and Family Ties

Volume 2024/2025
Education

MSc in Medicine - elective course

The course will also be open to PhD students. PhD student should apply as external students in order to obtain a slot in the course:

https://healthsciences.ku.dk/education/student-mobility/guest-students/

Content

Reproductive technologies such as for example various forms of IVF (sperm donation, egg donation, mitochondrial donation, IVF-with-ROPA, surrogacy, etc.) are increasingly enabling access to biological parenthood to those who were previously excluded, especially discriminated minorities.

This course aims to introduce students to the many different and evolving types of reproductive technologies available and to the social, ethical and political issues that arise from our growing usage of and reliance on reproductive technologies. We will have a special focus on how reproductive technologies are changing families and also on what we can learn through analysis and discussion of new ways of reproducing about the nature and value of family ties.

Learning Outcome

After completing the course the student is expected to:

Knowledge

  • Describe difference forms and practices around reproductive technologies
  • Describe the difference between biological parenthood and non-biological parenthood in all its complex aspects
  • Understand the impact of reproductive technologies on society and families with particular reference to issues of equality and minorities
  • Describe the impact of specific issues relating to reproduction, including political, ethical and research issues.
  • Understand finer distinctions within this debate such as for example the one between genetic biological parenthood and gestational biological parenthood

Skills

  • Critical analysis of the most important ethical and philosophical arguments relating to reproductive choices, reproductive technologies and family ties
  • Critical analysis and assessment of how theoretical concepts, principles and theories within ethics and philosophy apply to real life cases
  • Assess diverse healthcare systems and their different approaches to reproductive choices and reproductive technologies (for example, Denmark as opposed to Sweden)

Comptencies

  • Translate theoretical knowledge and principles on the ethics of reproduction into social and political solutions
  • Communicate the relevance of reproductive choices and technologies in public health contexts and also wider social and political contexts

Literature will be provided in due time through the usual channels: it is a mix of background readings in bioethics and new research articles on reproductive technologies and family ties. 

Class work will include student presentations, group work and plenum discussion of readings, with short lectures by the course leader.
This course can be of interest for Masters students across the whole of SUND and also within humanities, social sciences and law. Interested students should apply for enrollment as credit transfer students, please see deatils in 'Sign-up'.
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Class Instruction
  • 20
  • Preparation
  • 117
  • Exam
  • 0,5
  • Total
  • 137,5
Oral
Individual
Collective
Feedback by final exam (In addition to the grade)
Credit
5 ECTS
Type of assessment
Oral examination, 30 min
Type of assessment details
Each student will do an oral exam of no more than 30 minutes (including grading and feedback) directly after the end of the course. In order to pass, at the exam, students will have the opportunity to briefly present the project they have worked on during the course, and then students will have to answer two or three questions about course material and readings.
Aid
All aids allowed
Marking scale
passed/not passed
Censorship form
No external censorship
Two internal assessors
Exam period

Please see the exam schedule in KUnet

Re-exam

Please see the exam schedule in KUnet

Criteria for exam assesment

Students will be assessed according to the learning goals of the course:

To achieve the grade 12, the student must be able to:

Knowledge

  • Identify and describe different forms of reproductive technologies and the most important ethical and philosophical issues relating to those.
  • Identify and describe different family ties both biological and non-biological in all their empirical and non-empirical complexities
  • Understand the impact of social influences on reproductive choices and the use of reproductive technologies  

Skills

  • Critically analyze and assess the most important ethical and philosophical arguments relating to reproductive choices, reproductive technologies and family ties
  • Critically analyze and assess how theoretical concepts, principles and theories within ethics and philosophy apply to real life cases, examples and case studies

Competencies

  • Translate ethical and philosophical theoretical knowledge and principles into potential policy interventions relating to reproductive technologies
  • Communicate the relevance of reproductive technologies and family ties within wider social and political contexts.