“Not Your Incubator” illustrates conflict theory by showing how the macroaggression of systemic misogyny relates to the governments regulation of a women’s sexual and reproductive health, as well as the objectifying nature of debating the legality of a woman’s physical autonomy. “Not Your Incubator” is a political illustration that uses contrasting themes of objectification and ownership. It is inspired by “Riot Grrrl” feminism, a subset of third wave feminism. It invites the audience to use sociological imagination to evaluate how misogyny affects a woman’s relationship with her body. While limited by its narrow scope, “Not Your Incubator” provides context for Conflict Theory by relating a large societal conflict to the lives of everyday citizens.
“Not Your Incubator” shows a photo of actress Rita Hayworth with the words “I Am Not Your Incubator to Regulate” pasted over her eyes, chest, and hips. I created this piece in January of 2012 to protest the way emotional and religious rhetoric distracted from the core issue of physical autonomy during discourse about abortion. Third-wave feminist icon Kathleen Hanna stated in a 2015 interview for The Daily Beast, “It’s about women not dying in back-alley abortions, but it’s also about women saying: 'My life is worth it, too. I deserve to have control over my life and my health care. ' Imagine
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Conflict theory states that society works by upholding oppressive power structures. It is useful when studying the that way class and identity affects access to resources. Karl Marx founded the theory in the 1800s to describe the conflicts of classes within capitalism. “Not Your Incubator” can be used to illustrate feminism in the context of conflict theory. It relates how gender effects access to medical care and physical autonomy. Conflicts in society force people within that society to engage in or resist the resulting oppressive structures. Media showing resistance against such structures gives conflict theory real-world