How is reproductive freedom systemically controlled and how does it relate to the devaluation of
women’s work? This question led me through a literature review in the disciplines of gender
studies, feminist economics, queer theory, and sociology to inform my understanding of the
intersectional concept of gendered labour, and of reproductive labour as an intrinsic aspect of
women’s work. My Keystone compares social and cultural shifts in Early Modern Europe,
specifically the development of capitalism in its relation to reproduction, to current dominant
attitudes in the United States. Identifying the role and influence of the institutions of the State,
the Church, and dominant gender ideology allows for a holistic understanding of the institutions
that rely upon, and thus perpetuate, the gendered division of labour and the restriction of
reproductive rights.