Fundamentals of Midwifery: A Textbook for Students by Louise Lewis Page B

survey analysis.
Midwifery
29, pp. 921–926. Chapter 3‌‌ Sociology applied to maternity careMary Beadle
University of Hull, Hull, UK
Sarah Wise
Diana Princess of Wales Hospital, Grimsby, UK
Learning outcomesBy the end of this chapter the reader will be able to:
    identify relevant sociological perspectives
    define the terms gender and sexuality
    explore socially constructed concepts
    discuss the process of socialisation within families and society
    examine health, illness and wellbeing as concepts. Introduction The NMC (2009, p. 26) state that midwives must be able to:
. . . contribute to enhancing the health and social wellbeing of individuals and their communi- ties’ and ‘practice in a way which respects, promotes and supports individuals’ rights, inter- ests, preferences, beliefs and cultures . . .
This chapter identifies the knowledge necessary to undertake this role. It explains some of the key sociological theories and how these could relate to maternity care. This will assist in develop- ing a sociological perspective and applying this to childbearing women and their families. Overview of sociological perspectives When studying sociology it is important to have a basic understanding of the theories behindthis area of study. However, this is not a chapter on the theories of sociology and therefore it is
Fundamentals of Midwifery: A Textbook for Students
, First Edition. Edited by Louise Lewis.© 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Published 2015 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Companion website: www.wileyfundamentalseries.com/midwiferyrecommended that further reading is undertaken; this chapter aims only to apply some of the key sociological concepts to maternity care. As a way to start this process you should focus on a few of the key sociologists and their main ideas. These should include:
    Karl Marx –
class
43
    Emile Durkheim –
division of labour, religion
    Erving Goffman –
self in everyday life
    Harriet Martineau –
study of institutions
    Talcott Parsons –
sick role
    Ivan Illich –
medical power
    Max Weber –
social change – capitalism and religion
    Anthony Giddens –
formation of social structures and identity
    Simone De Beavoir –
feminism
    Judith Butler –
doing gender
    Sylvia Walby –
patriarchy
    Peter Townend –
poverty
.Further reading activityRead about the main ideas from these sociologists in:Giddens, A. (2009)
Sociology
, 6th edn. Chapter 3, Theories and perspectives in sociology, pp. 68–105. Cambridge: Polity.Bradby, H. (2012)
Medicine, Health and Society
. Chapter 2, Social theory and the sociology of health and illness, pp. 2–40.Hutchison, J. Parker, M. (eds) (2012)
Key Themes and Concepts in Applied Sociology
. London: Pearson. Mik-Meyer, N. Obling, A. (2012) The negotiation of the sick role: General Practitioners classification of patients with medically unexplained symptoms.
Sociology of Health and Illness
34 (7), pp.1025–1038.Giddens, A. Sutton, P. (eds) (2010)
Sociology: Introductory Readings
. Cambridge: Polity Press.The following websites will also be useful:http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Sociology http://www.sociosite.net/topics/sociologists.php http://www.biography.com/people/groups/academics/sociologistsWhen looking at these sociologists views think about how these are relevant to healthcare. Definition of society Sociology has been defined as ‘
the scientific study of human life, social groups, whole societies and
the human world
’ (Giddens 2009, p. 6). The theory of social construction is also an important factor to discuss, as this has applications to healthcare and understanding childbearing within communities and cultures. Social construction is the idea that ‘
social reality is the product of interactions between individuals and groups
’ (Giddens 2009, p. 38), rather than something that is just natural. In this way gender is something that tends to be viewed as natural, as it is to do with our physical appearance, but how we behave and how society