Fertility and
Reproduction
Studies Group
Dr. Yuliya Hilevych: Curriculum Vitae
November 2019
University of Cambridge
mobile: 31 6 44190804
email: yh410@cam.ac.uk
Citizenship: Ukraine
Residence: the Netherlands (permanent EU resident); the UK (Tier 1: Exceptional Talent Visa)
Education
2016 Ph.D in Sociology, Department of Social Sciences, Wageningen University, the Netherlands
2011 M.A. in Sociology, Department of Sociology, University of Lviv, Ukraine
2010 B.A. in Sociology, Department of Sociology, University of Lviv, Ukraine
Employment
2018- Newton International Fellow (British Academy), Faculty of History, University of Cambridge.
present Project: ‘Infertile Identities: Discourses, Counselling and Activism in Britain before IVF’.
2017 Researcher (0.6 fte), Policy and Dissemination Group, Netherlands Interdisciplinary Demographic Institute. Project: UNFPA-NIDI Resource Flows
Survey on Family Planning (on the request of the United Nations).
2016 Researcher (0.2 fte), Radboud Group for Historical Demography and Family History, Radboud University, the Netherlands. Project: A national inquiry into adoption practices among unmarried mothers in the Netherlands, 1956-1984 (on the request of the Dutch Ministry of Security and Justice).
2011- PhD Student (0.8 fte), Wageningen University and Radboud University, the Netherlands
2016 Dissertation: ‘Strong families and declining fertility. Family relations and reproductive careers in Soviet Ukraine’. (defended 02.11.2016)
Other affiliations
Reproductive Sociology Research Group at the University of Cambridge (2018—present)
Fertility and Reproduction Study Group at the University of Oxford (2019—present)
Netherlands Interdisciplinary Demographic Institute (2018—present)
Radboud Group for Historical Demography and Family History (2016—present)
Commissions of trust
2019- Member of the steering committee, Cambridge Reproduction Strategic Research
present Initiative (SRI), University of Cambridge, UK.
2018- Convener and founder of “Health, Medicine and Agency” Research Network, Centre for Arts,
present Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Cambridge.
2018- Member of ‘Changing (in)fertilities’ International Research Network, Department of
present Sociology, University of Cambridge.
2019- Member of ‘Medicine and Catholicism’ International Research Network, Reproductive Health
present Group, Department of History, University of Leuven, Belgium.
2020- Convener of a Seminar Series (Hilary Term) ‘Low fertility variations at subnational level: demo-
present graphic, historical and anthropological perspectives’, Fertility and Reproduction Study Group, University of Oxford
Grants & fellowships
2017 Newton International Fellowship, British Academy (success rate 8%)
2017 Rubicon Individual Grant, Netherlands Organisations for Scientific Research (NWO),
(€150.000, declined)
2016 Research grant from for the Dutch Ministry of Security and Justice (€70.000), co-applicant
CONFERENCE/TRAVEL FUNDING
2019 Centre for Research in Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities (CRASSH) Conference Funding,
University of Cambridge (£2500)
2018, CRASSH Funding to Convene a Research Network ’Health, Medicine and Agency’ in 2018-2019,
2019 University of Cambridge (£1500 per year)
2016 Dr Catharine van Tussenbroek Funds Travel Grant (€750)
Research visits
2019 University of Helsinki, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Economic and Social History (funded by the University of Helsinki)
2017 Population Research Institute Väestöliitto, Helsinki, Finland (funded by Väestöliitto)
2017 École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales (EHESS), and French Institute for Demographic Studies (INED), Paris, France (funded by INED)
Teaching
2018- University of Cambridge
present Lecturer and supervisor – Sociology of Gender, 3rd year BA level
Supervisor – MPhil Programme ‘Health, medicine and society’.
Supervisor – World population, development and environment: comparative history and pol-
icy (Pembroke-King’s College Undergraduate Programmes): 3rd year BA level.
Mentor: PhD student (Wolfson College).
2019 Yale-NUS College
Guest lecturer – History of Sexuality: 2nd year BA level.
2018 University of Carlos III of Madrid
Guest lecturer – Demography and population issues: 3rd year BSc level.
2014- Wageningen University
2015 Tutor – Demography and global population issues: 3rd year BSc level.
Guest lecturer – Advances in health and society; Transnational rural gender studies; Gender
and diversity in consumer culture: all courses are for 3rd year BSc level.
2013 Radboud University
Guest lecturer and examiner – Life course: from present to past: MA level.
2011 University of Lviv
Lecturer – History and Theory of Sociology: 1st year BA level.
Lecturer – Visual Methods of Analysis: 3rd year BA level.
Talks and lectures (selected)
*BY INVITATION
2019* ‘Infertility and childlessness before IVF: alternatives and activism in Britain’, Centre for Reproduction
Research, De Montfort University, Leicester
2019 ‘Emergence of infertility grassroots activism and the rise of infertility consciousness’, XI AFIN
International Conference “Towards reproductive (in)justice”, University of Granada
2019 ‘Emergence of infertility grassroots activism and the rise of infertility consciousness’, Conference
’Resistance is Fertile: Reproduction, Politics and Resistance’, Goldsmith College, University of London
2019 * ‘Prescribing childlessness: advice on infertility before in-vitro fertilisation in Britain’, Modern
Social and Economic History & Policy Seminar, Faculty of History, University of Cambridge
2018 ‘The ART of Conception Before Assisted Reproductive Technologies: Identity, Infertility Counselling
and Childlessness in Britain’, Remaking Reproduction Conference, University of Cambridge
2018 * ‘Reproduction, relations and paternalism during fertility decline’, Fertility and reproduction
seminar series, University of Oxford
2018 * ‘Hostages of time. Policy, practice and experiences of relinquishment for adoption by unmarried
mothers in the Netherlands between 1956 and 1984’, Network of Oral History, Huizinga Instituut, Amsterdam
2018 ‘From adoption to abortion. Experiences of teenage pregnancy through the eyes of Dutch birth
parents in the post-war decades’, European Social Science History Conference, Belfast
2018 * ‘Marriage, family relations and paternalism in Ukraine’, Work-in-Progress Seminar, Department
of Social Sciences, University Carlos III de Madrid
2017 * “‘Planning” Family in Soviet Ukraine’, ESOPP (EHESS-Science Pro-INED) seminar series,
École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales (EHESS), Paris
2017 * ‘Family, relations and reproduction: Individual experiences of Ukraine’s post-war fertility decline’,
the University of Helsinki
2017 * ‘Abortion cultures in Soviet Ukraine during the Cold War’, Graduate workshop in gender and
sexuality, University of Cambridge
2017 ‘Donor expenditures, UNFPA-NIDI Resource Flows on Family Planning Survey’, International
Family Planning Expenditures Tracking Expert Advisory Group Meeting, FP2020 Secretariat,
United Nations Foundation, Washington, DC
2017 ‘Meeting the needs: Contraceptive profiles of use and expenditures on family planning in the
Global South’, Dutch Demography Day, Utrecht
2016 * ‘Individual reproductive careers during fertility decline in Ukraine: situating social influences
within family systems.’ Summer School of the International Max Planck Research School for Social Anthropology
2016 ‘Exploring persistence of early transition to first parenthood in Ukraine: importance of family
relationships.’ European Population Conference, Mainz
2016 'Later, if ever: Family influences on transition to second birth in Ukraine, 1950-1975.’
European Social Science History Conference, Valencia
2016 ‘The appearance of a two-child family norm in Europe: a comparative study of Switzerland and
Ukraine, 1955-1970.’ Biennial Meeting of the European Society for Historical Demography, Leuven
2015 ‘Spacing or postponement? Transition to second birth and family influences in Ukraine,
Utrecht, the Netherlands: Dutch Day of Demography
2015 ‘Uncovering the persistence of early transition to first parenthood in Ukraine: the importance of
family systems,’ Wageningen, the Netherlands: International Workshop ‘The Power of the Family.’
Organisation and institutional responsibilities
2020 Organiser: Meeting ‘Maternal Mortality in sub-Saharan Africa’, Reproduction Strategic Re-
search Initiative, University of Cambridge
2019 Organiser: Conference ‘Let’s talk about Sex (and Reproduction): Counselling for Reproductive
Health in Postwar Europe’, University of Cambridge
2018 Organiser: Session ‘Resistance and Alternatives to Medicalisation of Reproduction’, Society
for the Social History of Medicine Conference, University of Liverpool
2018 Organiser: Sessions ‘Child Adoption Practices in the Long 20th Century: Trends and
Outcomes’ & ‘Monitoring teenage sexuality in Europe in the second half of the Twentieth
century’, European Social Science History Conference, Belfast
2017 Chair & Organiser: Session ‘Family Planning Policies’, Dutch Day of Demography, Utrecht
2017 Chair: Sessions ‘Abortion, unborn and counselling’ & ‘Women, health and fertility’, European
Association for the History of Medicine and Health, Bucharest
2016 Chair & Discussant: Session ‘State Control and Popular Practices. Perspectives from 20th Century
Northern Europe’, 11th European Social Science History Conference, Valencia
2015 Organiser: International Workshop ‘Power of the Family’, Wageningen University
2014, Convenor: ‘Sociology of Consumption and Households Research Seminars’, Sociology of Con-
2015 sumption and Household Group, Wageningen University
2014 Convenor: ‘Economic, Social and Demographic History Research Seminars’, Department of
Economic, Social and Demographic History, Radboud University
2014 Chair & Organiser: Session ‘Individuals’ Reproductive Careers in Modern Europe’, European
Social Science History Conference, University of Vienna
2013 Organiser: Sessions ‘Qualitative Approaches to Demographic Behaviour’, Part 1 & Part 2, Social
Science History Association Annual Meeting, Chicago
Publications
BOOKS AND SPECIAL ISSUES
2016 Hilevych, Y. ‘Strong Families and Declining Fertility: a Comparative Study of Family
Relations and Reproductive Careers in Soviet Ukraine’, Wageningen University, 191 p. ISBN 978-94-6257938-5 (Open Access)
2015 Hilevych, Y., and MacNamara, T. (Eds.). ‘Qualitative approaches to demographic questions’.
Special issue in: The History of the Family 20 (1). Including the Introduction: MacNamara, T., and Hilevych, Y.,
‘ Living in the demos: qualitative approaches to demographic questions’, The History of the Family 20 (1), p.1-8
(Open Access)
PEER-REVIEWED JOURNAL ARTICLES
2018 Hilevych Y, and Rusterholz C., “‘Two children to make ends meet”’: the ideal family size,
parental responsibilities and costs of children on two sides of the Iron Curtain during the postwar fertility decline’,
The History of the Family 23 (3), p.408-425 (Open Access)
2016 Hilevych Y. ‘Later, if ever: Family influences on transition from first to second birth in Soviet
Ukraine’, Continuity & Change 31(2), p. 275-300
2015 Hilevych, Y., ‘Abortion and gender relationships in Ukraine, 1955–1970’, The History of the Family 20 (1), p. 86-105
BOOK CHAPTERS
2018 Hilevych Y., and Sato C., ‘Popular medical discourses on birth control in the Soviet Union during
the Cold War: Shifting responsibilities and relational values’. In: Ann-Katrin Gembries, Theresia
Theuke and Isabel Heinemann (Eds.), Children by Choice? Changing Values, Reproduction and Family
Planning in the 20th Century (De Gruyter: Berlin, Boston), p. 99-122
2018 Hilevych Y., Generations and contexts in the study of continuity and change. The example of fertility declines.
In Paul Puschmann & Tim Riswick (Eds.), Building Bridges. Scholars, History and Historical Demography.
A Festschrift in Honor of Professor Theo Engelen ( Nijmegen: Valkhof Pers), p.476-490 (Open Access)
2013 Hilevych Y., and Rotering P., ‘Entrance into motherhood and women’s social networks in Ukraine’, 1955-1965,
(In Dutch: Moederschap en sociale netwerken in Oekraïne, 1955- 1965), In Matthijs, K., Puschmann, P., Janssens, A.,
and Bras, H. (eds.) Gender in/en historische demografie. Historisch-demografisch onderzoek in Vlaanderen en Nederland.
Jaarboek 2013, Leuven: Acco
POLICY REPORTS: SELECTED
2017 Boomen van den N., Dane J., Hilevych Y., Hoedemaeckers J., Walhout E., Kok, J., Hostages of time. Policy,
practice and experiences of relinquishment for adoption by unmarried mothers in the Netherlands between 1956
and 1984 (in Dutch with English summary). Scientific report for the Dutch Ministry of Security and Justice,
WODC-Onderzoek 2707. ISBN 978-94-92380-40-1
DATABASES
2017 UNFPA-NIDI Resource Flow Survey on Family Planning (2015, 2016 financial years)
OUTREACH: SELECTED
2019 Hilevych Y., ‘First public cases of surrogacy in 1978 Britain: can they help us to better understand
surrogacy today?’ ReproSoc blogpost (November 19, 2019)
2019 Hilevych Y.: Commentary on BBC Woman’s Hour about the history of artificial insemination in Britain
(February 26, 2019; (just after 32 minutes)
Reviewer for
European Journal of Population, Medical History, The History of the Family, Continuity and
Change, Journal of Family History, Social History of Medicine
Technical skills
Atlas.ti, LATEX, SPSS, R
Language skills
English (fluent), Dutch (upper intermediate), Ukrainian and Russian (native)