Date of Award
Spring 4-21-2013
Author's School
College of Arts & Sciences
Author's Department/Program
Anthropology
Abstract
The concept of risk is pervasive in contemporary discussions of childbirth –both amongst professionals and consumers. While risk is often presented as an objective entity, in reality it is an elusive concept to define, particularly within the context of maternity care. Since the nineteenth century, obstetricians and midwives have conceptualized the risks of birth differently. This thesis examines how two groups of practitioners in Missouri, obstetricians (OBs) and certified professional midwives (CPMs), perceive risk in pregnancy and childbirth. By combining archival investigation techniques with original qualitative research, I hope to demonstrate that risk in maternity care is far from a static concept. Rather, analyzing risk perception requires looking beyond individual knowledge systems to examine who it is that holds authoritative knowledge and how that knowledge drives definitions of risks and cultural understandings of what risks are acceptable during pregnancy and birth and what are not. After describing the history of maternity care in the United States, reviewing the relevant literature related to birth and risk perception, and presenting a qualitative study on the differences in risk perception between OBs and CPMs in Missouri, I move on to discuss the implications that differences and similarities in risk perception may have on the future of maternity care in Missouri.
Language
English (en)
Advisor/Committee Chair
Dr. Carolyn Sargent
Advisor/Committee Chair's Department
Anthropology
Second Advisor
Dr. Lewis Wall
Second Advisor's Department
Anthropology
Third Advisor
Dr. Barbara Baumgartner
Third Advisor's Department
Women and Gender Studies
Recommended Citation
Horan, Allison R., "Risking It: An Examination of Risk Perception Amongst Obstetricians and Certified Professional Midwives in Missouri" (2013). Undergraduate Theses—Unrestricted. 6.
https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/undergrad_open/6