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Medicalised maternity : an investigation into women's experiences of medicalised childbirth
Bibliography: leaves 169-175.
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| Main Author: | |
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| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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Department of Sociology
2015
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| _version_ | 1867613226479386624 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Humphreys, Katherine Louise |
| author2 | Jubber, Ken |
| author_browse | Humphreys, Katherine Louise Jubber, Ken |
| author_facet | Jubber, Ken Humphreys, Katherine Louise |
| author_sort | Humphreys, Katherine Louise |
| collection | Thesis |
| description | Bibliography: leaves 169-175. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/14634 |
| institution | University of Cape Town (South Africa) |
| language | eng |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:32:46.693Z |
| license_str | Not specified — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| publishDate | 2015 |
| publishDateRange | 2015 |
| publishDateSort | 2015 |
| publisher | Department of Sociology |
| publisherStr | Department of Sociology |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| spelling | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/14634 Medicalised maternity : an investigation into women's experiences of medicalised childbirth Humphreys, Katherine Louise Jubber, Ken Sociology Childbirth Bibliography: leaves 169-175. This dissertation reports on a qualitative study of the childbearing experiences of 20 women having their first child. The study attempts to examine the dominant discourses surrounding pregnancy, childbirth and motherhood, with specific reference to the medical discourse, and to describe the way in which these impact on the women's experiences. The non-probability, convenience sample used in the study comprised women attending an antenatal class held at a Cape Town private hospital. The sample was relatively socially and medically homogeneous. The size and nature of the sample makes broad generalisations tentative. Individual interviews based on in-depth and open-ended questions were conducted. These were aimed at gathering qualitative data on the women's perceptions of their experiences. The women were interviewed during the last trimester of pregnancy about their experiences of pregnancy and their anticipation of childbirth. A further interview conducted a few weeks after birth focused on their experience of childbirth within the hospital setting and their impressions of early motherhood. It was found that the women's accounts of their experiences of pregnancy, childbirth and early motherhood were shaped to a large extent by the discourses within which the process of childbearing has been constructed. These include the medical, 'natural' birth and feminine discourses. The dominance of the medical discourse of birth was evident in the fact that the medical view was thoroughly incorporated into the women's perceptions of their childbearing experiences. This view of birth, along with the dominance of scientific medical knowledge, was found to limit the perception of acceptable birthing practice. The medical discourse intersected with both the 'natural' birth discourse which, as a social construction, was shown to uphold essentialist and prescriptive notions of motherhood, and the feminine discourse. This discourse, along with its assumptions regarding the mothering role, was fom1d to impact on the women's experiences through the creation of unrealistic expectations and ideals, which contributed to the shock and stress of first-time motherhood. 2015-11-04T10:31:15Z 2015-11-04T10:31:15Z 1998 Master Thesis Masters MSocSc http://hdl.handle.net/11427/14634 eng application/pdf Department of Sociology Faculty of Humanities University of Cape Town |
| spellingShingle | Sociology Childbirth Humphreys, Katherine Louise Medicalised maternity : an investigation into women's experiences of medicalised childbirth |
| thesis_degree_str | Master's |
| title | Medicalised maternity : an investigation into women's experiences of medicalised childbirth |
| title_full | Medicalised maternity : an investigation into women's experiences of medicalised childbirth |
| title_fullStr | Medicalised maternity : an investigation into women's experiences of medicalised childbirth |
| title_full_unstemmed | Medicalised maternity : an investigation into women's experiences of medicalised childbirth |
| title_short | Medicalised maternity : an investigation into women's experiences of medicalised childbirth |
| title_sort | medicalised maternity an investigation into women s experiences of medicalised childbirth |
| topic | Sociology Childbirth |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/11427/14634 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT humphreyskatherinelouise medicalisedmaternityaninvestigationintowomensexperiencesofmedicalisedchildbirth |