Märkte der guten Hoffnung. Leihmutterschaft, Arbeit und körperliche Kommodifizierung in Russland

Abstract

Surrogacy has often been discussed as the ultimate form of commodification processes, that position surrogate mothers as the weakest links in global reproduction chains. The article explores the perspectives of these women in post-Soviet Russia, investigating how they conceptualise their „work“ and what role the metaphor of gift-giving plays in this context. Giving insight into their diverse backgrounds, experiences and attitudes, the text provides the opportunity to ask for ways of conceptualising the complex power relations pervading commercialised intimacies.