Parwana Mohammad
Colby College
Project
The Experience of Childbirth and the Role of Midwives within Historically Marginalized Communities
Brazil, New Zealand, Guatemala, Czech Republic
How childbirth is experienced varies around the world based on factors including proximity to hospitals, quality of care, choice of birthing location and more. There is another level of stress added to this event for groups that are experiencing cultural, social, political or physical change. My particular interest is in how the experience of birth—from the mothers’ and midwives’ perspective—is altered for marginalized communities that are in movement. The term “in movement” includes people living at the crossroads of two or more belief systems, cultures, etc. “Marginalized” includes groups that have been historically excluded politically, socially and economically. Both immigrant and indigenous communities, as well as economic and racial minority groups, fit the criteria for my project.