Enacting Homebirth Bodies: Midwifery Techniques in Germany.

Building on insights from science and technology studies-inspired anthropological research on reproduction, this paper uses a praxiographic approach to analyze homebirth midwifery practices in Germany. I show that such practices are syncretic, and that techniques of routinizing and multiplying obste...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Publicado en:Culture, Medicine & Psychiatry Vol. 43; no. 2; pp. 236 - 256
Autor principal: Skeide, Annekatrin
Formato: Journal Article
Publicado: Springer Nature Jun2019
Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
Descripción
Sumario:Building on insights from science and technology studies-inspired anthropological research on reproduction, this paper uses a praxiographic approach to analyze homebirth midwifery practices in Germany. I show that such practices are syncretic, and that techniques of routinizing and multiplying obstetrical interventions are combined in more or less coherent ways to configure pregnancies and births as physical, emotional, and social becomings. In the process of attending, homebirth bodies learn to co-respond to each other, to the midwifery techniques, and to the homebirth environment. Understanding how and with which aims midwives and women invest in those longterm engagements specific to homebirth surroundings may inform clinical practices.