Relationship Status: It’s Complex. Only Midwives? Intrusive Pseudo-Gods in White? A Critical Discourse Analysis inspired qualitative research of the midwife-obstetrician relationship in Austria’s intramural obstetrics care.
(2025) FLMU16 20242Division of Risk Management and Societal Safety
- Abstract
- This thesis explores the complex relationship between midwives and obstetricians in Austria's intramural maternity care, focusing on the ideological tensions surrounding ‘normal’ birth. Inspired by Critical Discourse Analysis, this research reveals that both professional groups act according to their distinct discursive subject positions, reinforcing their respective roles while shaping a social reality marked by mutual resistance, misunderstanding and negotiation. Midwives adapt to the dominant obstetrics discourse, experiencing professional exclusion, while instrumentalising the protection of women and their field of work – ‘normal’ birth – to justify their actions. Conversely, obstetricians monopolise and instrumentalise... (More)
- This thesis explores the complex relationship between midwives and obstetricians in Austria's intramural maternity care, focusing on the ideological tensions surrounding ‘normal’ birth. Inspired by Critical Discourse Analysis, this research reveals that both professional groups act according to their distinct discursive subject positions, reinforcing their respective roles while shaping a social reality marked by mutual resistance, misunderstanding and negotiation. Midwives adapt to the dominant obstetrics discourse, experiencing professional exclusion, while instrumentalising the protection of women and their field of work – ‘normal’ birth – to justify their actions. Conversely, obstetricians monopolise and instrumentalise all-encompassing accountability to assert authority and justify their involvement in ‘normal’ births, even when not practically leading them. These dynamics perpetuate the imbalance of power between the groups with resulting medical hegemony. The findings emphasise the importance of addressing knowledge gaps regarding roles, competencies, and legal frameworks, as well as the need for increased organisational transparency. Exchanging present forms of accountability focusing on obstetricians, with a socialising form of accountability, including midwives, is critical in reducing power imbalances and structural inequalities. This study reveals significant areas for future research in Austria’s intramural obstetrics care setting. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9185727
- author
- Fürst, Sabine LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- FLMU16 20242
- year
- 2025
- type
- H1 - Master's Degree (One Year)
- subject
- keywords
- Critical Discourse Analysis, Relationship, Midwives, Obstetricians, Professional Identities, Power, Accountability, Foucault, Structural Inequality, FLMU06
- language
- English
- id
- 9185727
- date added to LUP
- 2025-03-11 09:56:17
- date last changed
- 2025-03-11 09:56:17
@misc{9185727,
abstract = {{This thesis explores the complex relationship between midwives and obstetricians in Austria's intramural maternity care, focusing on the ideological tensions surrounding ‘normal’ birth. Inspired by Critical Discourse Analysis, this research reveals that both professional groups act according to their distinct discursive subject positions, reinforcing their respective roles while shaping a social reality marked by mutual resistance, misunderstanding and negotiation. Midwives adapt to the dominant obstetrics discourse, experiencing professional exclusion, while instrumentalising the protection of women and their field of work – ‘normal’ birth – to justify their actions. Conversely, obstetricians monopolise and instrumentalise all-encompassing accountability to assert authority and justify their involvement in ‘normal’ births, even when not practically leading them. These dynamics perpetuate the imbalance of power between the groups with resulting medical hegemony. The findings emphasise the importance of addressing knowledge gaps regarding roles, competencies, and legal frameworks, as well as the need for increased organisational transparency. Exchanging present forms of accountability focusing on obstetricians, with a socialising form of accountability, including midwives, is critical in reducing power imbalances and structural inequalities. This study reveals significant areas for future research in Austria’s intramural obstetrics care setting.}},
author = {{Fürst, Sabine}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{Relationship Status: It’s Complex. Only Midwives? Intrusive Pseudo-Gods in White? A Critical Discourse Analysis inspired qualitative research of the midwife-obstetrician relationship in Austria’s intramural obstetrics care.}},
year = {{2025}},
}