ABSTRACT
This chapter considers the experiences of women who act as surrogates, particularly in relation to the way this group of women represent themselves, their motivations, and their conceptualizations of surrogacy. It focuses specifically on how women who act as surrogates understand surrogacy and the kinship relationships it potentially involves, as well as how they represent themselves as desirable surrogates, their motivations for becoming a surrogate, and their role in the surrogacy arrangement. In order to do so, the chapter considers data from a documentary – Google_Baby – which focuses on the experiences of Indian women who act as surrogates. It then compares this data with advertisements placed by women in North America who are willing to act as surrogates derived from two websites: All About Surrogacy and Surromomsonline. In analysing these data and providing a comparative analysis of the two data sources, the chapter provides an overview of how women who act as surrogates are currently positioned in surrogacy arrangements.
