The gendered, embodied labor of childbearing and childrearing has transformed the Indian subcontinent and Central America into epicenters of the global market in human futures. This symposium puts them in comparative focus through the state of Gujarat, birthplace of India’s booming surrogacy economy, and Guatemala, an iconic source for childcare work in North America overshadowed by child laundering via the instruments of international adoption. An international group of scholars and activists will consider Gujarat and Guatemala together as markets of care and sites of speculating on life itself from the perspectives of the social sciences, literary and cultural studies, history, and law. Faculty members from Anthropology, Law, Science and Technology Studies, Latin American Studies, and South Asian Studies at Cornell and Syracuse Universities will respond to the invited speakers and moderate discussion.

SCHEDULE  (all venues are wheelchair accessible)

Friday, May 6

1:30: Opening by the organizers, Anindita Banerjee and Debra Castillo

1:45-3:15: Karen Rotabi, “From Intercountry Adoption in Guatemala to Commercial Global Surrogacy in Gujarat: Lessons Learned from Research and Human Rights”

Respondent: Sital Kalantry (Cornell, Law)

3:15-3:30: Break

3:30-5:00: Kaushik Sunder Rajan, “Speculations on the Constitution of the Experimental Subject”

Respondents: Cecilia van Hollen (Syracuse, Anthropology) and Suman Seth (Cornell, Science and Technology Studies)

5:00-6:00 Reception, A. D. White House

8:00  Sanhita Nandi, Hindustani Vocal and Durga Bor, Odissi Dance, An Evening of Indian Classical Music and Dance,  Barnes Hall (call in advance for accessibility directions at 607-255-8493).

Saturday, May 7

9:30: Breakfast

10:00-11:30: Kalindi Vora, “Contracting Care: Indian Commercial Surrogacy as Life Support”

Respondents: Himika Bhattacharya (Syracuse, South Asian Studies) and Kavita Panjabi (Jadavpur University, Kolkata, Comparative Literature)

11:30-1:00: Lunch

1:00-2:30: Gladys Tzul Tzul, "Reproducción de la vida, estrategias de trabajo de cuido y agresión capitalista en Guatemala" ("Reproduction of Life: Strategies of Care and Capitalist Aggression in Guatemala")

Respondents: Pedro diPietro (Syracuse, Latin American Studies) and Cecelia Lawless (Cornell, Romance Studies)

2:30-2:45: Break

2:45- 4:15: Sherryl Vint, “Post-Vital: Speculative Fictions of Life and Death”

Respondent: Chris Garces (Cornell, Anthropology)

Co-sponsored by the Cornell University South Asia Program, South Asia Center at Syracuse University, and the U.S. Department of Education National Resource Center Title VI funding.