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CHILDBIRTH THROUGH CHILDREN'S EYES Item Type text; Dissertation-Reproduction (electronic) Authors Anderson, Sandra VanDam, 1943- Publisher The University of Arizona. Rights Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. Download date 25/09/2021 13:47:18 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/298719 INFORMATION TO USERS This reproduction was made from a copy of a document sent to us for microfilming. While the most advanced technology has been used to photograph and reproduce this document, the quality of the reproduction is heavily dependent upon the quality of the material submitted. The following explanation of techniques is provided to help clarify markings or notations which may appear on this reproduction. 1. The sign or "target" for pages apparently lacking from the document photographed is "Missing Page(s)". If it was possible to obtain the missing page(s) or section, they are spliced into the film along with adjacent pages. This may have necessitated cutting through an image and duplicating adjacent pages to assure complete continuity. 2. When an image on the film is obliterated with a round black mark, it is an indication of either blurred copy because of movement during exposure, duplicate copy, or copyrighted materials that should not have been filmed. For blurred pages, a good image of the page can be found in the adjacent frame. If copyrighted materials were deleted, a target note will appear listing the pages in the adjacent frame. 3. When a map, drawing or chart, etc., is part of the material being photographed, a definite method of "sectioning" the material has been followed. It is customary to begin filming at the upper left hand comer of a large sheet and to continue from left to right in equal sections with small overlaps. If necessary, sectioning is continued again—beginning below the first row and continuing on until complete. 4. For illustrations that cannot be satisfactorily reproduced by xerographic means, photographic prints can be purchased at additional cost and inserted into your xerographic copy. These prints are available upon request from the Dissertations Customer Services Department. 5. Some pages in any document may have indistinct print. In all cases the best available copy has been filmed. University Microfilms International 300 N. Zeeb Road Ann Arbor, Ml 48106 8322636 Anderson, Sandra Vandam CHILDBIRTH THROUGH CHILDREN'S EYES The University of Arizona PH.D. 1983 University Microfilms International 300 N. Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor, Ml 48106 Copyright 1983 by Anderson, Sandra Vandam All Rights Reserved CHILDBIRTH THROUGH CHILDREN'S EYES by Sandra VanDam Anderson A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of the COLLEGE OF NURSING In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY In the Graduate College THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA 19 8 3 Copyright 1983 Sandra VanDam Anderson THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA GRADUATE COLLEGE As members of the Final Examination Committee, we certify that we have read the dissertation prepared by Sandra VanDam Anderson entitled Childbirth Through Children's Eyes and recommend that it be accepted as fulfilling the dissertation requirement for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy . MjUcl a AAix t fo-y i? Wv / / V (] Date ^ ^ /3 Qts-j-e /<y f 3 V c Date f. Date"" ' Date Date Final approval and acceptance of this dissertation is contingent upon the candidate's submission of the final copy of the dissertation to the Graduate College. I hereby certify that I have read this dissertation prepared under my direction and recommend that it be accepted as fulfilling the dissertation requirement. ^ C?), /o /?f<? Dissertation Director D^JZe STATEMENT BY AUTHOR This dissertation has been submitted in partial fulfillment of requirements for an advanced degree at The University of Arizona and is deposited in the University Library to be made available to borrow­ ers under rules of the Library. Brief quotations from this dissertation are allowable without special permission, provided that accurate acknowledgment of source is made. Requests for permission for extended quotation from or repro­ duction of this manuscript in whole or in part may be granted by the copyright holder. SIGNED: ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The successful completion of this dissertation has not been accomplished alone. I am particularly grateful to the members of my major committee. I acknowledge Dr. Eleanor Bauwens for her unstinting help during the entire period of doctoral study. Her insight, kind­ ness and understanding were generously offered and very sincerely appreciated. Her practical and wise advice from the beginning idea to pursue a degree to the last theme delineated in the dissertation has kept me "on track." To Dr. Margarita Kay I am grateful for initial encouragement to systematically study topics of abiding interest to me, and for just the right amount of direction to stimulate my curiosity and guide my fledgling efforts. Her guidance has continued throughout the course of study, and has been especially helpful during the cross-cultural review of literature and the collection of data. I acknowledge the assistance of Dr. Agnes Aamodt, especially during the final analysis and presentation of data. Special thanks are due the children who shared with me their recent experiences of witnessing childbirth, and the parents who allowed the children to discuss an intimate family event with me. I am appreciative to Charlene Wagonlander for her good judge­ ment, cheerfulness and efficiency displayed in the hours of service to prepare this manuscript. iii My deepest gratitude is felt toward my family—my children, Josiah and Jana, and my parents, Ed and Marian VanDam, and also toward my friends, Lydia Breen, Janice Burke, John Fife, John Gaines, Jeanne Jensen, Robin Perin, Melinda Staveley, Jeanne Taylor, Benny Wanjala, Diana and Winston Warr and many others. Thank you for your love, patience, diversion and most of all for believing and assuming that I could accomplish my goals. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS viii LIST OF TABLES x ABSTRACT . xi 1. INTRODUCTION: CHANGING BIRTHING PATTERNS 1 Current Attitudes toward Childbearing 2 Medicalization of Birth 3 Reaction of Alternative Birth Movement. ........ 5 Reaction of Professional Organizations 8 Study Proposal 10 2. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY: CHILDREN AND CHILDBIRTH 12 Significance of the Study 12 Children's Concepts of Sexuality and Birth 15 Birth in the Family: Becoming a Sibling 21 Sibling Presence at Birth 23 3. ACCESSIBILITY OF CHILDBIRTH TO CHILDREN: CROSS-CULTURAL COMPARISON 33 Sociocultural Influences on Birth Practices 34 Cultural Differences Through Space and Time 37 Human Relations Area Files Survey 37 Attitudes toward Children at Birth as Depicted in Games and Art 66 Historical Documentation 73 Summary 75 4. THE GUIDING PERSPECTIVES 77 Childbirth as a Sociocultural Event 77 Culture of Childhood 81 Child's-Eye View 83 Cognitive Development 87 v vi TABLE OF CONTENTS—Continued Page 5. METHODOLOGY: THE ETHNOGRAPHIC APPROACH 93 The Researcher 94 The Informants 98 Children as Informants 98 Study Informants 106 The Research Design 112 Qualitative Research 112 Ethnographic Data and Analysis 116 The Setting 119 Getting In 120 Data Collection and Analysis 122 6. PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF DATA 129 Characteristics of the Sample 129 The Informants 130 Families of the Informants 131 Birth Events Witnessed by the Informants 133 Domains of Meaning in the Child's View of Childbirth. 137 People Who Do Things at Birth 137 Steps in a Baby Being Born 141 Things People Do at Birth 151 Best Parts of Being There 164 Worst Parts of Being There 167 Things that are Gross at Birth 171 Things that are Scary at Birth 177 Things for Kids to Know about Being There 190 Themes 200 I Never Seen It Before 200 The First Time You Don't Know 202 It Might Not be Scary for You, but It Was For Me. 203 The More Often You See It, the Less It Bothers You. 204 Dads, Kids and Ladies Help 205 I Can't Stand to Miss It 205 It's Kind of Gross for the Person Who has to Watch. 206 You Learn by Being There 206 Summary 207 7. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 209 Themes and the Research Questions 209 Themes and the Background of the Study 211 Themes and the Guiding Perspectives 218 vii TABLE OF CONTENTS—Continued Page Themes and Health Care 221 Recommendations for Future Study 228 Conclusion 232 APPENDIX A: ACCESSIBILITY OF CHILDBIRTH TO CHILDREN IN 50 CULTURAL UNITS WITH OUTLINE OF WORLD CULTURES (OWC) CODE 234 APPENDIX B: PARENTAL CONSENT FORM. ... 239 APPENDIX C: CHILD CONSENT FORM 242 APPENDIX D: SELF-REPORTED DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE OF 14 INFORMANTS AND THEIR FAMILIES WITH PSEUDONYMS 244 APPENDIX E: INFORMANTS' DRAWINGS 248 APPENDIX F: DIMENSIONS OF CONTRAST IN THINGS THAT HAPPEN DURING THREE STAGES OF BIRTH 261 REFERENCES 266 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Figure Page 1. A demon watches the labor of a Balinese woman who is supported by a man and a child 67 2. Demon lies in wait for the emerging newborn 68 3. Family visiting a Chinese lying-in woman, while the midwife holds the child in her arms 70 4. German lying-in room of the sixteenth century 71 5. Children visiting the mother and infant in Holland 72 6. The lying-in woman receives visitors 72 7. Domains of meaning in people who do things at birth 138 8. Domains of meaning in things moms do at birth 153 9. Domains of meaning in things dads do at birth 156 10. Domains of meaning in things kids do at birth 158 11. Domains of meaning in things midwives do at birth 162 12.

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