Prethodno priopćenje
https://doi.org/10.21860/j.11.1.3
Politics of Birth Places: Examining the Ethics of Birth Place Choices
Aireen Grace Andal
orcid.org/0000-0002-7487-4742
; Prospekt Lenina 51, Office 114a, Ural Federal University, Yekaterinburg, 620075, Russian Federation
Sažetak
This work examines the ethical aspects of restricting homebirth. It focuses on how restricting
homebirth can breach the principle of autonomy because pregnant citizens1 not only risk
losing control over the medical decisions facing them, but also autonomy over their actions
and control over their bodies. Using Berlin’s discussion on freedom, this work discusses
the rather hidden oppressive nature of birth restrictions that appears when it is framed as
helping pregnant individuals choose a moral option as per the advice of medical authorities
at the expense of seeing an institutional failure to provide informed choice or options for
birthing places for their so-called “best interest”. Three main arguments are offered why
restricting homebirth can potentially violate autonomy: (1) imposing the authority to decide
on the maternal body issues; (2) imposing standards on motherhood and pregnancy; and
(3) imposing how to ascribe value to risk. These arguments highlight how the state and
medical institutions have established authorities in the birthing process to justify restricting
homebirth. When the state and medical institutions are framed as the moral authority for
birth places, contrasting preferences of pregnant individuals are bound to be judged with
guilt-ridden sentiments, shame and other value-laden labels related to one’s choice rather
than be seen as a reflection of the quality of institutional support. Homebirth restriction
reflects that a pregnant person’s decision of birthplace is not isolated from the availability
of one’s choice. Indeed, there is an ethical interest in restricting homebirth, as this could be
benevolent at best and discriminatory at worst.
Ključne riječi
homebirth, moralization, freedom
Hrčak ID:
240210
URI
Datum izdavanja:
18.6.2020.
Posjeta: 1.257 *