92362 Power, Politics and Midwifery
6cp;3hpw, online and on campus
There are course requisites for this subject. See access conditions.
Description
This subject focuses on the intersection of gender (the cultural construction of femininity and masculinity), power and the sociopolitical contexts of childbearing. Students examine midwifery from a feminist perspective and identify historical and current gender-based issues that impact on the profession and childbearing women. The subject examines historical medicalisation practices and current technological influences in relation to the position women hold in westernised societies. Students are exposed to sociopolitical discourses that inform the experience of childbirth for women, families, and midwives. Portrayals of childbearing and midwifery in popular culture provide a platform for critical analysis of women, birth and mothering in today’s society. The subject also provides an overview of the human rights perspective on childbearing, and the care that women have a right to and deserve. This includes the role of consumers in the maternity care sector and how midwives work in partnership with women to advocate for improvements and reform in maternity services.
Detailed subject description.