Assisted Reproductive Technology and Social Sciences. Thinking about what's missing.

Assisted Reproductive Technology and Social Sciences. Thinking about what's missing. Inventing possibilities

Symposium May 29, 2026

Assisted reproductive technology (ART) encompasses a range of techniques developed to overcome various types of infertility. While these techniques represent a medical advance that has led to the birth of more than 10 million children worldwide, they also raise many challenges. There are still gaps in treatment, whether in terms of medical, psychological, or social care for those affected.

These gaps include:

• male infertility, which is still poorly understood and sometimes underestimated;
• the (in)fertility of transgender people and their often-invisible journeys;
• the grief of infertility and support for those who have ended their treatments;
• ART journeys that do not result in the birth of a child and the need to reinvent one's life afterwards;
• economic and social disparities in access to treatment.
• Undoubtedly, other angles also remain to be identified.

How can the social sciences contribute to identifying these therapeutic gaps and opening up new avenues of reflection? What methodologies can be (re)invented to better understand the dead ends, limitations, and unmet needs of the people involved in ARTs? How can interdisciplinary dialogue between the social sciences and reproductive medicine be promoted?

We invite contributions from all social sciences that:

• question the dead ends, limitations, and pitfalls of current MAP practices;
• analyze the unmet needs of those affected;
• question the methods of social sciences applied to reproductive medicine;
• experiment with interdisciplinary approaches (social sciences/biomedicine)
• propose innovative methods or artistic collaborations to explore these issues.

Proposals for papers should be sent by December 1, 2025 (approximately 300 words) to the following address: parcours2026 gmail com (Response by the end of December). Presentations will take place in person only at the Condorcet campus, Aubervilliers, 93300, France.