20th Annual Student Research Conference
Interdisciplinary
International Relations and Margaret Sanger's Fight for Birth Control
Emily J. Murdock
Dr. Hena Ahmad, Faculty Mentor
At the beginning of the 20th century, Margaret Sanger began to advocate for an increase in the availability of birth control and family planning information, which at that time was non-existent. Her message was often misunderstood, though, and the controversial social issues that were difficult to surmount in the United States became augmented by the intercultural conflicts that further exasperated her efforts. She was confronted by cultures in which men controlled practically every aspect of society, and left women with few opportunities to educate or assert themselves on the issue of birth control. Often, Sanger’s views were dismissed because of the simple fact that she was a woman; her nationality also affected the reception of her message. Yet despite cultural differences, her mission of penetrating the male-dominated systems of information that made family planning a taboo and raising awareness about safe population control eventually grew into an effective international movement.
Keywords: Margaret Sanger, birth control
Topic(s):Interdisciplinary
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 55-1
Location: VH 1408
Time: 2:45 pm