Author:
Daniella Yurich
Mentor:
Dr. Christine Jacknick
Abstract:
Research on health communications is relatively abundant and vast, however there are few studies on the interactions between birthing people and their reproductive care providers. To get a closer and more personal look at these experiences, we are interviewing obstetric/gynecological providers and birthing people to record their narratives. We take a particular interest in how interviewees talk about their experiences and the influence that language has on their interactions with care providers. This includes instances of “reported speech” (Holt & Clift 2006) where interviewees recount what was said in the past by them or to them. By utilizing stance analysis and conversation analysis, we show how the ways that participants speak of their healthcare interactions can influence the overall perceptions of their care. Maternal mortality rates in this country (and NYS and NYC particularly) and high incidence of obstetric violence are public health crises, and not ones that can necessarily be solved by an individual research project. However, this research shines a light on a particular form of this violence against birthing people that is not often recognized: the language and interactions they experienced. Looking closely at participant narratives and analyzing their reported speech shows how language is attributed to obstetric violence.
