The politics of birth
Author(s)
Bibliographic Information
The politics of birth
Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann, c2005
- pbk.
Available at 13 libraries
Note
Includes bibliographical references and index
Description and Table of Contents
Description
One way of looking at birth is to see it entirely in terms of biology - how the reproductive process works in the human body. Another is to assess risk - examine what might go wrong in physiological mechanisms, and describe methods of preventing and treating malfunction. But to understand how women experience birth it has to be seen in its social context: the way in which people interact, the meanings that events have for them, and the relationships between all those involved - the social construction of reality. "The Politics of Birth" explores ways in which we learn about birth, how we talk and feel about it, assumptions that professional caregivers may make, and the roles and skills of midwives. Topics include home birth and water birth; the use of drugs in childbirth; obstetric and nursing interventions which are often used routinely; Caesarean sections; pressures that care-givers are under, and the choices presented to women that are more apparent than real. Throughout, the author draws on research-based evidence to present both an holistic yet grounded examination of topical issues surrounding pregnancy and childbirth. This is not a 'how to' book.
The aim of "The Politics of Birth" is to help the reader develop deeper insight and understanding of how a technocratic birth culture shapes our ideas about birth and obstetric practice. This book is for everybody who wants to understand and improve the technocratic culture.
Table of Contents
Preface Acknowledgements 1. Giving birth 2. The birth place 3. The clock, the bed and the chair 4. Images of birth and breastfeeding 5. Breastfeeding: public health, birth and shame 6. Birth education: from pedagogy to politics 7. The language of birth 8. Touch and its meanings 9. The caesarean epidemic 10. Court-ordered caesareans 11. Birth plans 12. Home birth 13. Waterbirth 14. Birth dance 15. What's happening to midwives? 16. Doulas 17. Fathers 18. Children at birth 19. Silence is collusion: violence in pregnancy 20. Mothers and babies behind bars 21. Pregnant asylum seekers: the dispossessed 22. Changing our birth culture Reflections Useful websites and addresses Index
by "Nielsen BookData"