92382 Power, Politics and Midwifery
6cp; 4 x 8hrs, workshops. To comply with health advice from NSW Health, the planned delivery of this subject for Spring 2021 has been adjusted. Activities planned for campus in the first four weeks of session are being moved online. Activities for the remainder of the session will be scheduled on campus only if the public health situation permits face to face learning in available teaching spaces. Please log into Canvas and monitor your UTS email for the latest advice concerning subject delivery and assessment information.There are course requisites for this subject. See access conditions.
Postgraduate
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 therefore on childbearing women. The subject examines historical medicalisation practices and current technological influences in relation to the position women hold in westernised societies.
The subject exposes students to sociopolitical discourses that inform the experience of childbirth for women, families and for midwives. The portrayal of childbearing and midwifery in popular culture provides a platform for students to critically analyse the portrayal 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 deserve. This also 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.
Typical availability
Spring session, City campus
Detailed subject description.