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The logics of planned birthplace for remote Australian Aboriginal women in the northern territory: A discourse and content analysis of clinical practice manuals

Ireland, Sarah, Belton, Suzanne and Saggers, Sherry (2015). The logics of planned birthplace for remote Australian Aboriginal women in the northern territory: A discourse and content analysis of clinical practice manuals<br />. Midwifery,31(10):993-999.

Document type: Journal Article
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Title The logics of planned birthplace for remote Australian Aboriginal women in the northern territory: A discourse and content analysis of clinical practice manuals
Author Ireland, Sarah
Belton, Suzanne
Saggers, Sherry
Journal Name Midwifery
Publication Date 2015
Volume Number 31
Issue Number 10
ISSN 0266-6138   (check CDU catalogue open catalogue search in new window)
eISSN 1532-3099
Start Page 993
End Page 999
Total Pages 7
Place of Publication United Kingdom
Publisher Churchill Livingstone
Field of Research 320000 Medical and Health Sciences
Abstract OBJECTIVE:
the aim of this research is to review the content, and describe the structural and contextual discourse around planned birthplace in six clinical practice manuals used to care for pregnant Aboriginal women in Australia׳s remote Northern Territory. The purpose is to better understand where, how and why planned birthplaces for Aboriginal women have changed over time.
METHODS:
content and discourse analysis was applied to the written texts pertaining to maternal health care and the results placed within a theoretical framework of Daviss׳s Logic.
FINDINGS:
the manuals demonstrate the use of predominantly scientific and clinical logic to sanction birthplace. Planned birthplace choices have declined over time, with hospital now represented as the only place to give birth. This is in opposition to Aboriginal women׳s longstanding requests and is not supported by robust scientific evidence.
CONCLUSIONS:
despite scientific and clinical logics dominating the sanctioning of birthplace for Aboriginal women, conjecture is apparent between assumed logics and evidence. There needs to be further critical reflection on why Aboriginal women do not have planned birthplace choices, and these reasons, once identified, debated and addressed both in research agendas and policy re-development.
Keywords Aboriginal women
Australia
Birthplace
Discourse analysis
Midwifery
Remote
DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.midw.2015.06.005   (check subscription with CDU E-Gateway service for CDU Staff and Students  check subscription with CDU E-Gateway in new window)
 
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Created: Mon, 25 Jan 2016, 11:42:02 CST by Marion Farram