Thinking with class in feminist bioethics

Abstract

Social class is an underused concept in feminist bioethics and the ambition of this chapter is to make the case for how “thinking with class” more explicitly, could enhance intersectional analysis in this discipline. The first section of the chapter introduces different ways the concept of class has been used by feminist scholars. The next part reviews how class has been applied in existing feminist bioethical scholarship. The final section draws on two empirical cases studies to indicate the value of considering class alongside other identifications in different areas of healthcare. One case relates to women’s alcohol drinking, and the other relates to how women with children give consent to share information about their lives between health and social care services.