El islam ante los tratamientos de reproducción asistida: un estudio empírico sobre la relación entre ciencia y religión en Tánger y Barcelona

Rosa Martínez-Cuadros

doi:10.18294/sc.2023.4492

Islam and assisted reproduction treatments: an empirical study on the relationship between science and religion in Tangier and Barcelona

Rosa Martínez-Cuadros Doctor in Sociology. Postdoctoral researcher, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Barcelona, Spain.

Received: 3 May 2023, Accepted: 24 August 2023, Published: 22 September 2023

https://doi.org/10.18294/sc.2023.4492 | PMID: 37992290

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Abstract

In recent decades there have been significant developments in assisted reproduction techniques, which have aided couples with difficulties in having children. These techniques have been well received in different parts of the world, and Muslim countries have been no exception. Adopting sociologist Michèle Lamont’s theoretical perspective on “boundaries”, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 health professionals and Islamic community leaders in the cities of Tangier and Barcelona during 2022. The aim of this article is twofold: first, to analyze how key actors in the Muslim community conceive of the relationship between Islam and science; second, to explain how this understanding is negotiated in relation to assisted reproduction treatments. The article concludes with a consideration of the complexities related to drawing the line between the positions of science and religion, and emphasized the importance of examining empirical cases in order to better capture the complex relationship between these two spheres and gain a deeper understanding of existing bioethical debates.

Keywords: Islam, Science, Religion, Reproduction Techniques, Bioethics

Categories: Anthropology, Religion

Full-text of the article is available for this language: Español.

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