Date of Award
2015
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelors
Department
Social Sciences
First Advisor
Dean, Erin
Keywords
Women, Childbirth, United States, Sarasota, Florida, Health Care
Area of Concentration
Anthropology
Abstract
During a time of vehement debate surrounding Choice and the childbearing body, women in the United States have unprecedented health care options regarding pregnancy and birth. As critiques against the medicalization of standard hospital care are growing in visibility, increasing numbers of women are leaving the hospital for maternal care. This situation has created a divide between natural and medical birthing ideologies, which is exemplified in the Sarasota birthing community. In this thesis, I explore the manners in which women are socialized into these “camps” through childbirth education courses at the local hospital and birthing home, and discuss the political and economic factors that disempower marginalized people from being able to participate in these discussions. By examining the reported experiences of women navigating the health care system, I have found that women are reinscribing these distinctions by creating personalized integrations of medical knowledge, natural tools, and shared support.
Recommended Citation
Wopinski, Jessica, "UNTIL IT’S YOURS: CHILDBIRTH KNOWLEDGES AND EMBODYING CULTURAL [RE]PRODUCTION" (2015). Theses & ETDs. 5139.
https://digitalcommons.ncf.edu/theses_etds/5139