Thesis (MA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2002 / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This review examines the medical model's conceptualisation of postnatal depression
(pND) from a feminist perspective. The arguments are fourfold: Firstly, it argues that
the fundamental problem underlying the concept of PND is its conception as existing
on a continuum with psychosis at the most severe end and maternity blues at the least
severe end. The link with psychosis implies that it is potentially pathological requiring
medical and psychiatric intervention. On the other hand its link with maternity blues
gives scientific credence to continued research on emotional sequelae of reproduction
that are below the psychiatric threshold of urgency. Secondly, the medical model's
construction of PND implies that women are predisposed to mental illness because of
their ability to bear children and thus pathologises normal experiences of childbirth.
Thirdly, the medical model's preoccupation with classification and categorisation has
become little more than an exercise in labeling that has removed women from their
own experiences. Focusing on birth as an activity that is separate from the rest of
pregnancy objectify women and ignores the socio-political context within which they
give birth and care for their infants. Fourthly, it is argued that a different way of
researching postpartum mood disorders is necessary to overcome a reductionistic and
pathological model of childbirth. This is important if healthcare delivery hopes to
provide adequate treatment for all women in the postnatal period. Especially in South
Africa, where the dominant culture has for many years defined the experiences of the
'other', it is important to generate research that should include the 'voices' of the
'other' to prevent hegemonic practice from assuming an expert understanding of
PND. This review does not deny the contributions from the medical establishment,
but argues that a critique of its underlying assumptions is important to prevent women
from being further marginalised by ignoring the socio-political context in which their
lives are embedded. The implications for research within South Africa are also
addressed. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie oorsig ondersoek die mediese model se konseptualisering van postnatale
depressie vanuit 'n feministiese perspektief. Die argument is vierledig: Eerstens blyk
die konseptualisering van postnatale depressie, naamlik dat dit op 'n kontinuum
bestaan, met psigose aan die mees disfunksionele kant en 'maternity blues' aan die
minder ernstige kant, 'n fundamentele, onderliggende probleem te wees. Die verband
met psigose impliseer dat postnatale depressie potensieel patologies is en mediese en
psigiatriese insette benodig. Die verband met 'maternity blues' aan die ander kant,
bied wetenskaplike begronding vir volgehoue navorsing op die gebied van emosionele
aspekte van kindergeboorte wat nie van psigiatriese belang is nie. Tweedens impliseer
die mediese model se konstruksie van postnatale depressie dat vroue 'n predisposisie
tot geestessiektes het bloot deur die feit dat hulle die vermoë het om kinders voort te
bring. Sodoende word patologiese kenmerke gekoppel aan normale ervarings van
kindergeboorte. Derdens het die mediese model se beheptheid met klassifikasie en
kategorisering verval in etikettering wat vroue van hul eie ervarings vervreem. Deur
te fokus op geboorte as 'n aktiwiteit wat verwyder is van die res van swangerskap
maak van vroue objekte wat verwyderd is van die sosio-politieke konteks waarbinne
hulle geboorte skenk en sorg vir hul babas. Vierdens word dit beredeneer dat 'n nuwe
benadering tot navorsing oor postpartum gemoedsteurings daar gestel behoort te word
om 'n reduksionistiese en patologiese model van kindergeboorte te voorkom. Dit is
belangrik as gesondheidsorgdienste hoop om toereikende behandeling te bied vir alle
vroue in die postnatale periode. Veral in Suid-Afrika, waar 'n dominante kultuurgroep
vir so lank die ervarings van ander omskryf het, is dit belangrik om navorsing voort te
bring wat die 'stemme' van die 'ander' insluit om sodoende te verhoed dat die
heersende praktykvoeringe van die dag 'n eensydige deskundige-verstaan van
postnatale depressie voorveronderstel. Hierdie oorsig ontken nie die bydraes van die
mediese model nie, maar beredeneer die feit dat 'n kritiese beskouing van die
onderliggende aannames belangrik is om sodoende te verhoed dat vroue verder
gemarginaliseer word deurdat die sosio-politieke konteks waarin hul lewens gegrond
is, buite rekening gelaat word. Die implikasies vir navorsing binne 'n Suid-Afrikaanse
konteks word dus ook ondersoek.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/53010 |
| Date | 12 1900 |
| Creators | Smit, Joalida |
| Contributors | Kruger, L., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Psychology. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 102 p. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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