Language policy at an abortion clinic: linguistic capital and agency in treatment decision-making.

This paper investigates an abortion clinic's procedural choices regarding the management of linguistic diversity. It focuses in particular on how language serves as capital for clients' agency in decision-making regarding their abortion treatment. Based on linguistic-ethnographic fieldwork in a Flemish abortion clinic, we analyse the clinic's institutional language policy, which states that clients should be able to speak Dutch, English or French in order to be eligible for a medical abortion-the alternative to a surgical abortion. We show how direct and smooth communication is considered a condition to ensure safety during the medical abortion treatment. We also discuss how, against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, the practical reorganisation of the clinic has led to more autonomy and empowerment for some clients, while it reinforced the already existing inequality for others. Finally, we discuss the clinic's struggles with and lack of reflection on language support services. We conclude that the case of the abortion clinic can be considered as one of exclusive inclusion, and suggest that a higher awareness of language support and a critical rethinking of the safety procedure could strengthen this clinic further in its endeavour to help women confronted with an unwanted pregnancy.

La saga eugenesia social / Social Eugenics: a saga

El fundamento biopolítico de estos tiempos no es la libertad sino la nuda vida. La idea de eugenesia nopuede desligarse de la vida comprometida con la mera zoe, en tanto puro espacio biológico limitado agarantizar la resolución de necesidades de la vida y supervivencia individual y colectiva. La zoé es parteconstituyente de las políticas públicas por cuanto la vida biológica se ha convertido en el objeto y elobjetivo de la política. En el espacio público, como espacio soberano, se define la esencialidad de lavida colectiva y las condiciones de esclavitud de estos tiempos al dictaminar las reglas que rigen la luchapor la supervivencia: selección excepcional y permanente de la cadena de la desigualdad, destino desacrificio y muerte en vida de las mayorías sometidos a la indignidad y a vivir refugiados en la resoluciónde su propia subsistencia. Como dimensión moral el poder extrema la potencialidad del mal: trivializala dominación, se otorga inmunidad - viola derechos, inhibe el castigo, juzgamiento o rebelión ante loscrímenes que genera – naturaliza la ficción de la representatividad, manipula, aniquila toda consideraciónque legitime igualdad o bienestar, transgrede las autonomías y todo principio de dignidad. La ficcióndel bien común socava la promesa de bienestar, salvación y vida digna para todos al definir las cadenasde la esclavitud mayoritaria - encierro del afuera, vida de la necesidad, expropiación de sí- a cambio delsacrificio en vida y promesas de protección y salvación futura.

The biopolitical fundamental of our times is not freedom: it is the “nude life”. Eugenics as an idea cannot be separated from life committed to the mere zoe – seen as a pure, biological space the limitof which lies in guaranteeing the solution of the needs life demands, and the individual and collective survival as well. “Zoe” is a constitutive part of public policies inasmuch as biological life is nowboth the object, and objective of politics. Within the public space, as a sovereign space, the essential aspect of collective life is defined, as well as the slavery conditions of our times, when rules governing the struggle for survival are defined, namely: an exceptional and permanent selection of the inequalitychain, a destiny of sacrifice and a “living death” imposed to majorities subject to indignity, subject to searching a solution for their own subsistence. As a moral dimension, power maximizes thepotential of evil: by trivializing domination, immunity is granted: rights are violated, either punishment, trial, or rebellion against crimes evil generates are inhibited. In other words, powernaturalizes the fiction of being a representative government, manipulates, annihilates every possibleconsideration aimed at legitimizing either equality or well-being, transgressing autonomies and every possible dignity principle as well. The “common good” fiction undermines the promise ofwell-being, salvation, and a decent life for all, by defining what are the chains for the majority slavery condition: being locked outside, living in need, being expropriated from oneself – in exchangefor a life-long sacrifice, protection and a future salvation are promised.