Abstract
Birthing is a critical moment in the life of a mother.The biomedical practice of the Caesarian Section (C-section)does not exist in a vacuum but is under the influence of the sociocultural environment. However, deciding between methods of birth and the perception about the C-section shows a gap and dearth in the present literature.This paper aims at understanding what social and cultural factors construct the perceptions and experiences of the Caesarian Section among post-C-section-women belonging to different socio-economic statuses. Moreover, it explores how these factors influence Pakistani women‟s decision-making regarding childbirth methods. The paper uses a qualitative yet multi-sited locale approach, employing semi-structured interviews from 20 post-C-section women mainly from Islamabad and Rawalpindi region; 10 women belong to lower socio-economic status whereas, 10 to the upper one. Different themes from data were identified and obtained for analysis. The perception and experience of the C-section fluctuate with social, economic, and cultural factors. The influence of biomedical and intra-household politics on the decision of C-section is much conspicuous and evident. Affluent families practice C-sections under dominant power dynamics without any reasoning. For those who can afford C-section,is perceived as a luxury and artificial motherhood in the eyes of „‟the others‟‟ whereas,normal birthing was true and natural motherhood.The social construction of the C-section suggests that social and cultural forces play a decisive role. C-section is only acceptable if there is an emergency otherwise natural birth is the most suitable method of childbirth. Along with advocating C-sections in critical medical conditions, an awareness campaign against C-sections is also imperative for it has severe consequences.
Ikram Badshah, Zakiya Rubab Mohsin, Jan Alam. (2021) Local Perception about Caesarian Section among Post Caesarian Section Women in Pakistan, Sir Syed Journal of Education & Social Research (SJESR), Volume-04, Issue-2.
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