Sharmila Rudrappa
Professor — PhD, University of Wisconsin–Madison
Professor; Director, South Asia Insitute

Contact
- E-mail: rudrappa@austin.utexas.edu
- Phone: (512) 232 6310
- Campus Mail Code: A1700
Biography
Sharmila Rudrappa teaches on, and researches issues related to gender, race, and labor. Her specific interests are on reproductive markets in the U.S. and India. She is author of Discounted Life: The Price of Global Surrogacy in India (New York University Press, 2015). She is also the author of Ethnic Routes to Becoming American: Indian Immigrants and the Cultures of Citizenship (Rutgers University Press, 2004), which explores race activism in late 20th century Chicago.
Courses Taught:
- Soc 394K, Classical Sociological Theory
- AAS 330/ WS 340/ SOC 321, Reproductive Justice and Race
Current Research Projects:
Dr. Rudrappa’s research is on labor markets in care work.
Courses
AAS 330M • Reproductive Justice/Race
32375 • Spring 2022
Meets MW 8:30AM-10:00AM RLP 0.104
CDWr
(also listed as SOC 335R, WGS 340)
SOC 394K • Classical Social Theory
45045 • Fall 2021
Meets T 12:30PM-3:30PM RLP 3.106
AAS 330M • Reproductive Justice/Race
32515 • Spring 2021
Meets TTH 9:30AM-11:00AM GDC 1.304
Hybrid/Blended
(also listed as SOC 335R, WGS 340)
AAS 330 • Reproductive Justice & Race
31549 • Fall 2019
Meets TTH 8:00AM-9:30AM RLP 0.122
CDEWr
(also listed as SOC 321K, WGS 340)
SOC 394K • Classical Social Theory
43730 • Fall 2019
Meets TH 12:30PM-3:30PM RLP 3.106
ANT 391 • Feminist Theory
30985 • Spring 2018
Meets M 4:30PM-7:30PM CLA 1.102
(also listed as SOC 395G, WGS 393)
AAS 330 • Reproductive Justice & Race
35945 • Spring 2017
Meets TTH 12:30PM-2:00PM ETC 2.114
CDEWr
(also listed as SOC 321K, WGS 340)
ANS 390 • Feminist Theory
31757 • Fall 2016
Meets W 3:00PM-6:00PM CLA 3.106
(also listed as ANT 391, SOC 395G, WGS 393)
AAS 330 • Reproductive Justice & Race
35125 • Spring 2016
Meets MWF 10:00AM-11:00AM CLA 0.122
(also listed as SOC 321K, WGS 340)
ANS 390 • Feminist Theory
31008 • Fall 2015
Meets W 3:00PM-6:00PM CLA 0.120
(also listed as ANT 391, SOC 395G, WGS 393)
ANS 390 • Feminist Theory
31155 • Spring 2015
Meets M 3:00PM-6:00PM CLA 0.120
(also listed as SOC 395G, WGS 393)
UGS 303 • Diff Dialog: War & Asian-Amers
64360 • Fall 2014
Meets MWF 10:00AM-11:00AM CLA 0.122
Wr
ID
AAS 330 • Sociology Of Race And Work
36527 • Spring 2014
Meets TTH 3:30PM-5:00PM CLA 1.106
(also listed as SOC 321K, WGS 322)
ANS 390 • Feminist Theory
32268 • Spring 2014
Meets TH 12:00PM-3:00PM CLA 4.106
(also listed as SOC 395G, WGS 393)
AAS 330 • Feminist Theory
36045 • Spring 2013
Meets TTH 12:30PM-2:00PM BIO 301
Wr
(also listed as SOC 321K, WGS 350)
SOC 379M • Sociological Theory
45880 • Spring 2013
Meets TTH 3:30PM-5:00PM WAG 112
Wr
AAS 330 • Sociology Of Race And Work
36070 • Fall 2012
Meets MWF 12:00PM-1:00PM BUR 134
(also listed as SOC 321K)
SOC 379M • Sociological Theory
45680 • Fall 2012
Meets MWF 1:00PM-2:00PM BUR 231
Wr
AAS 330 • Feminist Theory
35880 • Spring 2012
Meets TTH 11:00AM-12:30PM PAR 306
Wr
(also listed as SOC 321K, WGS 322)
AAS 330 • Sociology Of Race And Work
35885 • Spring 2012
Meets TTH 2:00PM-3:30PM BUR 136
(also listed as SOC 321K, WGS 322)
ANS 390 • Feminist Theory
31625 • Fall 2011
Meets W 12:00PM-3:00PM BUR 231
(also listed as ANT 391, SOC 395G, WGS 393)
SOC 379M • Sociological Theory
46220 • Spring 2011
Meets TTH 2:00PM-3:30PM MAI 220A
Wr
UGS 302 • War & Asian American Families
63570 • Spring 2011
Meets TTH 11:00AM-12:30PM BUR 228
Wr
WGS 322 • Feminist Theory
47615 • Spring 2011
Meets MW 2:00PM-3:30PM GAR 2.112
SOC 379M • Sociological Theory
46490 • Spring 2010
Meets MWF 9:00AM-10:00AM BUR 214
AAS 330 • Asian Amer Iss: Family Polit
36022 • Fall 2009
Meets TTH 3:30PM-5:00PM BUR 136
(also listed as WGS 340)
WGS 393 • Feminist Theory
48911 • Fall 2009
Meets TH 12:00PM-3:00PM BUR 480
AAS 330 • South Asian Amer Experience-W
36055 • Spring 2008
Meets MW 5:00PM-6:30PM MEZ 1.118
C2
(also listed as WGS 340)
AAS 330 • South Asian Amer Experience-W
35500 • Spring 2007
Meets MW 4:30PM-6:00PM BUR 231
C2
(also listed as WGS 340)
AAS 330 • Asian Amer Iss: Family Polit
36245 • Fall 2006
Meets TTH 11:00AM-12:30PM BUR 224
(also listed as WGS 340)
AAS 330 • Spec Tpc In Race: Nation/Citzn
34500 • Spring 2006
Meets MWF 9:00AM-10:00AM PAR 8C
(also listed as WGS 322)
ANS 390 • Feminist Theory
29817 • Spring 2006
Meets W 1:00PM-4:00PM BUR 231
(also listed as WGS 393)
AAS 330 • South Asian Amer Experience-W
34235 • Fall 2005
Meets W 5:00PM-8:00PM BUR 231
C2
AAS 330 • Asian Amer Iss: Family Polit-W
33130 • Spring 2005
Meets W 4:00PM-7:00PM BUR 228
C2
ANS 384 • Citznshp In Multiracial Democs
28440 • Spring 2005
Meets T 4:00PM-7:00PM BUR 214
AAS 330 • Asian Amer Iss: Family Polit
31840 • Spring 2004
Meets MW 3:00PM-4:30PM UTC 3.102
(also listed as WGS 340)
AAS 379 • Conf Crs In Asian Amer Studies
32430 • Fall 2003
ANS 390 • Feminist Theory
27697 • Fall 2003
Meets F 12:00PM-3:00PM BUR 231
(also listed as WGS 393)
SOC 679HA • Honors Tutorial Course
43560 • Fall 2003
AAS W679HA • Honors Tutorial Course
84369 • Summer 2003
AAS 330 • Asian Amer Iss: Family Polit
31550 • Spring 2003
Meets MW 3:00PM-4:30PM UTC 3.102
(also listed as WGS 340)
AAS 330 • South Asian Amer Experience-W
31930 • Fall 2002
Meets TTH 2:00PM-3:30PM ECJ 1.214
C2
(also listed as WGS 340)
AAS 379 • Conf Crs In Asian Amer Studies
31940 • Fall 2002
AAS 330 • Spec Tpc In Race: Nation/Citzn
31535 • Spring 2002
Meets TTH 8:00AM-9:30AM BUR 214
AAS 330 • So Asians In Us: Race/Work/Fam
32362 • Fall 2001
Meets MWF 10:00AM-11:00AM CBA 4.344
AAS 330 • Sp Tpc In Race: Nation/Citizen
32363 • Fall 2001
Meets MWF 8:00AM-9:00AM GEA 105
Publications
Books
2015 Discounted Life: The Price of Global Surrogacy in India. New York, NY: New York University Press. 224 pages.
2004 Ethnic Routes to Becoming American: Indian Immigrants and the Cultures of Citizenship. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press. 256 pages.
Journal articles
2018 “Reproducing Dystopia: The Politics of Transnational Surrogacy in India, 2002-2015,” Special issue in Critical Sociology, edited by Jennifer Chun, Heidi Gottfried, and Ito Peng. November 2018 (44:7/8).
2016 “What to Expect When You’re Expecting: The Affective Economies of Consuming Surrogacy in India.” Positions: Asia Critique, 24 (1).
2015 Co-authored with Caitlyn Collins. “Altruistic Agencies and Compassionate Consumers: Moral Framing of Transnational Surrogacy.” Gender & Society. Dec 2015. 29 (6): 932-959.
2014 “Des ateliers de confection aux lignes d’assemblage des bébés. Stratégies d’emploi parmi des mères porteuses à Bangalore, Inde” [From sweatshops to intimate labor: Employment strategies among surrogate mothers in Bangalore, India]. Cahiers du Genre, 56, 59-86.
2012 “Working India’s Reproductive Assembly Line: Surrogacy and Reproductive Rights?” Western Humanities Review, 66(3), 77-101.
2012 “India’s Reproductive Assembly Line.” Contexts, 11(2), 22-27.
Peer reviewed book chapters
2016 “From Manufacturing Clothes to Manufacturing Babies: Economic Precarity and Labor Options Among Surrogate Mothers in Bangalore, India.” Edited by Virginie Rozée Gomez and Unisa Sayeed. Assisted Reproductive Technologies in the Global South and North: Issues, Challenges and the Future. Routledge, London.
2015 “Conceiving Fatherhood: Gay Men and Indian Surrogate Mothers.” In Globalized Fatherhood. Edited by Marcia Inhorn, Wendy Chavkin, and Jose-Alberto Navarro. Oxford, UK: Berghahn Books, 291-311.
Op-eds
2016 “Why India’s New Surrogacy Bill is Bad for Women,” Op-ed in Huffington Post, August 28, 2016. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/why-indias-new-surrogacy-bill-is-bad-for-women_us_57c075f9e4b0b01630de83ad
2015 “If America Really Cared About Mothers, Reproductive Health Care Would Be Available to All.” Op-ed in American Prospect for Mother’s Day, May 10, 2015. http://prospect.org/article/if-america-really-cared-about-mothers-reproductive-health-care-would-be-available-all
2015 “White American’s ‘Equal Opportunity Anger’ Leads to Execution-Style Deaths of Three Muslim Americans.” Op-ed in Truth Out, February 17, 2015. http://truth-out.org/opinion/item/29162-white-american-s-equal-opportunity-anger-leads-to-execution-style-deaths-of-three-muslim-americans
2015 “Fingers in the Attic.” Op-ed in Pacific Standard, January 28, 2015. http://www.psmag.com/books-and-culture/fingers-in-the-attic-collecting-human-remains
2014 “The International Surrogacy Market.” Op-ed in Pacific Standard, September 23, 2014. http://www.psmag.com/navigation/health-and-behavior/the-international-surrogacy-market-india-bangalore-pregnancy-babies-90953