The Social and Political Context of Maternity Care
| Code | School | Level | Credits | Semesters |
| MIDW3040 | Midwifery | 3 | 20 | Autumn UK |
- Code
- MIDW3040
- School
- Midwifery
- Level
- 3
- Credits
- 20
- Semesters
- Autumn UK
Summary
This course considers:
- Political drivers in maternity care
- Historical UK maternity care, social policy and legislation
- The social construction of childbirth, the physiological birth agenda, place of birth, medicalisation of childbirth and the risk discourse
- The impact of media on childbirth
- Midwifery models of care in the UK and internationally
- Feminism in maternity care
- The role of the midwife in enabling and advocating for the human rights of women and children
Target Students
Pre-registration student midwives
Classes
200 hours of learning delivered by a variety of methods, including self-directed study
Assessment
- 100% Assessment: Group debate lasting no longer than 45 minutes to assess knowledge and understanding
Assessed by end of autumn semester
Educational Aims
To enable students to explore the relationship between the social and political context of maternity care and the provision of high-quality maternity services.Learning Outcomes
Knowledge and Understanding
Critically analyse how maternity policy and the risk discourse influence women’s ability to achieve physiological childbirth.
Evaluate the midwife’s role as a lead professional within maternity services.
Intellectual Skills
Apply the politics of maternity care to midwifery practice and the role of the midwife
Appraise a range of relevant evidence from social and political sources, and maternity care research
Professional Practical Skills
Examine models of maternity care from local, national and international perspectives
Recognise the importance of policy in the provision of midwifery care, the delivery of high-quality maternity services and the effect this has on marginalised groups within society.
Transferable (key) Skills
Develop a research based academic argument