In this presentation, I will try out an argument in which fear is explored as an individual and collective emotion that runs through, guides and regulates contraceptive practices, understanding it as a micro-political emotion that organizes the social order related to the socialization of values and practices (Rezende and Coelho, 2010; Koury, 2005). To do this, I draw on data from life narratives (Kofes, 1994; Bertaux, 2020) developed through interviews during the ethnographic fieldwork I have been carrying out in Lisbon (Portugal) and Fortaleza (Brazil) since 2021. The intention is to build a reflection on how this emotion is evoked and signified by the interlocutors of the research in the contexts of their experiences of using or not using contraceptive methods, understanding what fear is associated with and how it interacts with and reflects multidimensional power dynamics experienced in diverse relationships, which can involve affective-sexual partnerships, family dynamics, school and religious environments, health services, projects and lifestyles, as well as other issues. To develop this argument, I draw on theoretical horizons in the fields of gender, sexuality, social reproduction, power and the anthropology of emotions. This article uses data and is part of a broader investigation I am carrying out for my doctoral thesis, in which I am interested in the multidimensional power relations that permeate contraceptive experiences.

Ao CRIA, pelo acolhimento na investigação doutoral; FCT Portugal, pelo financiamento.

contraception,power,fear,emotions

• Anthropology - Social Sciences