The course opens with a discussion of demographic transitions and presents a general question regarding fertility as a social phenomenon, rather than a biological one. It then turns its focus to a critical discussion of the concept of childhood, and its change through time. The second part discusses the concept of parenthood and presents theories regarding the altering meanings of motherhood and fatherhood, and looks at different issues such as parenthood and the job market and bereaved mothers in the Israeli society. Arguing that childhood and parenthood are social concepts which differ across time and space, the course presents seminal studies in this field, with a special focus on Jewish and Israeli culture from medieval times up to the present.

New Reproductive Technologies (NRT's) enable reproduction independent of heterosexual sex, fertilization with sperm retrieved post-mortem, surrogacy, embryo and egg donation (as well as their commercialization), sex selection, genetic diagnosis of embryos and pre-embryos and their following selection, and the like. These new abilities have led to rich feminist, ethical, legal and social disputes as they redefine basic categories such as the beginning of life, parenthood, motherhood and the family. The course discussed NRT's, with a special emphasis on the Israeli society and its embracement of such technologies.

The course is divided into three interrelated sub-sections. The first one is devoted to an introduction to the sociology of Health and Illness and its major concerns. It introduces fundamental theories in the field and questions the concepts of life and death. The Second section is centered on health and gender. It deals with how the bodies of men and women were represented during the history of medicine, as well as with how they are currently constructed within medical discourse. The third section deals with New Reproductive Technologies (NRT's), and with some of the rich feminist, ethical, legal and social disputes they raise.