During the academic year 2024/25 this course will not be streamed.

There are several elements that make an individual’s identity: the origins (parents), name, gender, sexual orientation, and marriage, to name just the most commonly used. In law, the concept of “status” combines important elements of identity, though it does so differently in various legal systems. In addition, medical, social and cultural developments have brought new opportunities and challenges to many of the elements that define identity: the possibility to change sex or surrogate motherhood are two important examples. Also these developments have taken very different forms and brought about different results in different jurisdictions, with important practical and legal consequences when people move across borders. The course will reflect on the concept of identity and status in different cultural settings and discuss the international and cross-border dynamics of the legal regulations relating to names, gender, marriage, and surrogate motherhood.