Dr Kato conducts research into the application of RGTs in Japan and its effect on genetic selection after prenatal diagnosis and during pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD). Her fieldwork focuses on the way parents make decisions about their offspring in genetic counselling sessions, and the way government guidelines, medical institutions, the family and cultural-medical practices affect these decisions. Kato relates her findings to political and public debates on the socio-cultural value of the embryo, so as to understand processes of validating humans. Initially, Kato will compare the application of RGTs in Japan with those in the Netherlands, extending the comparison to the PRC next.

 

The Newsletter articles

Publications

Books:

Kato, M. (2009), Women’s Rights?: The Politics of Eugenic Abortion in Modern Japan. Amsterdam; Amsterdam University Press. 

 

 

Contribution to edited works:

Kato, M. (2010), ‘Cultural notion of a disability in Japan: An influential factor to choice whether to take prenatal testing’ in Sleeboom-Faulkner, M (ed.), Predictive & genetic testing in Asia: Social-science perspectives on the ramification of choice. Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press.

Kato, M. (2003), ‘Eugenic practices in individualist social environment?: The Dutch cases of sterilisation of mentally disabled women’, in A group to request apology from the Japan Ministry of Health and Welfare for forced sterilisation (ed.), History and practices of eugenics in Japan, Gendai Shokan, 90-101. Tokyo: Gendaishokan

Articles in journals (International peer reviewed):

Kato, M. & M. Sleeboom-Faulkner (2011), ‘Meanings of the embryo in Japan: Narratives of IVF experience and embryo ownership’, Sociology of Health & Illness, 3(3), in press.

Kato, M. & M. Sleeboom-Faulkner (2009), ‘Culture of marriage, reproduction and genetic testing in Japan’, BioSocieties 4: 115-127. 

Kato, M. (2009), ‘Quality of offspring?: Socio-cultural factors in reproductive decision-making in Japan’, Culture, Health and Sexuality, 12 (2): 177-129.  

Kato, M. (2007), ‘Silence between patients and doctors: the issue of self-determination and amniocentesis in Japan’, Genomics, Society and Policy, 3(3): 28-41.

Non-peer reviewed journal articles, newspapers:

Kato, M. (2009), ‘Selective abortion in Japan’, The Newsletter International Institute for Asian Studies, 52: 20-21.  

Kato, M. (2009), ‘Watering foetus: Rituals of consoling the aborted foetuses’, Soshiren news, 278: 5-7.

Kato, M. (2009), ‘Abortion and selective abortion in the Netherlands’,  Impaction, June: 76-79.  

Kato, M. (2008), ‘Women’s movement in the Netherlands’, Soshiren News, 263: 5-11.

Kato, M. (2007), ‘The Netherlands: IVF tourism’, Soshiren News, 258: 8.

Kato, M. (2007), ‘Attitudes of teenagers towards sexual reproductive health in the Netherlands’, Asahi monthly mother’s newspaper, 38: 1.

Kato, M. (2007), ‘Report on a research on psychological stress after selective abortion in the Netherlands’, Japan Down’s Syndrome News, 16-17.

Kato, M. (2007), ‘Participation in Finrrage Japan’ in Finrrage Japan Newsletter, 99:  14-15.

Kato, M. (2007), ‘5-year-project to enhance sex education in the Netherlands’, Monthly report Sex Education Today,  25 (4): 6-9.  

Kato, M. (2007), ‘Sex education in the Netherlands: Sufficient information and sexual reproductive health’, Monthly report Sex Education Today, The Japanese Association for Sex Education, 25(3): 1-8.

Kato, M. (2006), ‘Abortion on “trivial” reasons?: Debate on abortion because of cleft lips in Japan and the Netherlands’, in Soshiren News, September: 5-7.   

Kato, M. (2006), ‘Anti-conception pill, less popular in the Netherlands?’, Soshiren News, 241: 15-16.

Kato, M. (2006), ‘Cosmetic pill and anti-conception pill, a danger for brain’, Soshiren News, 140: 2-3.

Kato, M. (2005), ‘Dutch debates on abortion law’, in Soshiren News, 239: 11-13.

Kato, M. (2005), ‘A research on disabled people and sexuality in the Netherlands’, in Jass proceedings, the Japanese Assembly for the Study of Sex, 17(1): 38-54.

Kato, M. (2005), ‘A conference report: “Genomics and society”,’ Soshiren News, 237: 16-17.

Kato, M. (2004), ‘A report on Stitching Alternatieve Relaties (SAR): Sexuality and disabled people in the Netherlands’, Soshiren News, 222: 13-15.

Kato, M. (2001), ‘On Dutch reproductive services’, in Family Planning Federation of Japan, Family planning and health.

Kato, M. (2000), ‘On the article about ‘euthanasia’ of foetuses in the Netherlands’, Soshiren News; 15-16.

Conference papers:

Kato, M (2010). ‘On the research project: “Dutch-ness in genes and genealogy: Following genetic diversity around in science and society” ’, a lecture at Meijigakuin University, Tokyo, April, 2010.

Kato, M (2008), ‘Reproductive genetic technologies and the emerging challenges to professional medical identity:  the role of ultrasound during pregnancy in Japan’, poster presentation at the Fifth International Centre for Society and Genomics Conference:  Setting the Agendas!, Amsterdam, April 2008.

Kato, M. (2007), ‘A comparative study on socio-genetic marginalisation: Japan in relation to the ‘West’ as a reference group’, paper presented at International Institute for Asian Studies fellow Symposium, Leiden, November 2007.

Kato, M. (2007), ‘Quality of offspring? Socio-cultural factors in reproductive decision-making in Japan’, paper presented at the 5th International Convention for Asian Scholars (ICAS 5), Kuala Lumpur, August 2007.

Kato, M. (2007), ‘On SMAP Project: How to see medical practices from socio-cultural perspectives’, paper presented at Genetic Counselling Seminar at Kinki University Osaka, June 2007.

Kato, M. (2007), Tokyo, ‘Findings of field-research and the purpose of the project SMAP’, paper presented at Genetic Counselling Seminar at Ochanomizu University, Tokyo, June 2007.

Kato, M. (2007), ‘Ethical problems in disseminating information about amniocentesis in Japan’, paper presented at the 4th CESAGEN/Centre for Society and Genomics Conference, London, March 2007.

Kato, M. (2005), ‘Disabled people, reproduction and sexuality in the Netherlands’, paper presented at Social Policy Symposium at Osaka Municipal University, Osaka, June, 2005.

Kato, M. (2005), ‘The role of the concept of ‘right’ in abortion debates’, paper presentation at International Women’s Health Day Meeting, Tokyo, June 2005.

Kato, M. (2005), ‘Disabled people, reproduction and sexuality in the Netherlands’, paper presented at the Japan Association for Sex Education, Tokyo, June 2005.

Kato, M. (2005), ‘Comparative analysis of abortion politics in Japan and the Netherlands’, a lecture at Japan Studies department, Leiden, April 2005.

Kato, M. (2002), ‘“Rights” in Japanese abortion debates: What the debate proposes about the possibilities and limitations of the concept of “rights”?’, paper presented at a conference Gender, Sexuality and Law, Keele, July 2002.

Kato, M. (2001), ‘A discourse of rights, decision-making and life: Mapping out the relationality among women’s movement, handicapped people’s movement and anti-abortionists in Japanese abortion debates’, paper presented at Derde Landelijk Congres Vrouwenstudies, Amsterdam, October 2001.

Kato, M. (2001), ‘From “enlightened self” to “related self”: An attempt to delineate “self” and self-determination as employed in Japanese women’s movement in the issue of prenatal screening and selective abortion’, paper presented at Social science conference, Amsterdam. January 2001.

Kato, M. (1999), ‘On   feminist reading of women’s rights to selective abortion’, paper presented at Social science conference, Amsterdam, January 1999.