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• Undergraduate study:
• Courses
• Order a prospectus
• How to apply
• Information for applicants
• Why choose Kingston University
• Disability and mental health support
• Accommodation
• Undergraduate fees
• Fees, funding and payments
• Access, participation and inclusion

Social and Political Context of Midwifery Care

• Module code: MW6011
• Year: 2018/9
• Level: 6
• Credits: 30
• Pre-requisites: None
• Co-requisites: Transition to Midwifery Practice

Summary

This module will enable you to apply social sciences (including psychology, sociology, health and social policy, politics and economics) to midwifery practice and maternity services provision.

Aims

This module will enable you to apply social sciences (including psychology, sociology, health and social policy, politics and economics) to midwifery practice and maternity services provision.

Learning outcomes

On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:

• Demonstrate understanding of how psychological, emotional and social factors influence childbearing experiences for women and their families.
• Demonstrate the ability to critically apply psycho-social theoretical knowledge to their practice as midwives to facilitate optimal care.
• Debate the current issues in public health in relation to childbearing women and provision of maternity services.
• Discuss and critically analyse contemporary social policies relating to maternity care provision.
• Appraise the role of midwifery as a profession in its contribution to the wider public health agenda and wellbeing of individuals, families and society.

Curriculum content

• Psychological and social factors affecting birth experience: physical and social environment; personality, locus of control, self-efficacy, attitudes and health beliefs.
• Sociology of family; family dynamics; parenting; becoming a mother; fatherhood.
• Revision of developmental psychology. Theories of attachment.
• Culture, ethnicity and diversity; stereotyping and stigma.
• Gender and expressing sexuality.
• Grief, loss and bereavement.
• Health trends and contemporary public health challenges, eg. teenage pregnancy, domestic violence, smoking, obesity.
• Inequalities in health.
• Maternity services provision: past and present. Health and social policies and their effects on maternal, child and family health. The role of the state versus individual responsibility. The role of the midwife.    
• Sociology of professions and hospitals. Social history of childbirth and midwifery. Medicalisation of childbirth and implications. Feminism.
• Consumer perspective, support groups and voluntary services.

Teaching and learning strategy

A variety of teaching and learning strategies will be utilised within this module. The use of lead lectures, time for directed reading and guided individual study will enable students to discuss at seminars and explore topics in depth. Study space will be used to support the teaching and learning, relevant materials will be available within the module including power point presentations and specific online activities.

• Formal lectures
• Seminars
• Guided individual
• Workshops
• E-learning

Breakdown of Teaching and Learning Hours

Assessment strategy

Formative assessment

Submission of a 1000 words draft of the essay. The draft should provide a background to the chosen public health issue, and the outline of the proposed content and structure of the essay. Feedback will be given on the proposed content of the essay, as well as the writing style e.g. structure, use of literature.

Summative assessment

A 3000 word essay on a topic chosen from one of four scenarios focusing on different public health challenges. The initial discussion is to provide the background to the issue, i.e. scale of the problem and the current initiatives in place. The remainder explores psychological, sociological and political context and the implications for midwifery care.

Mapping of Learning Outcomes to Assessment Strategy (Indicative)

Elements of Assessment

Achieving a pass

It is a requirement that the coursework is passed in order to achieve an overall pass for the module.

Bibliography core texts

Barker S (2011) Midwives' emotional care of women becoming mothers. Cambridge: Cambridge Scholars

Douglas J (ed.) (2010)  A reader in promoting public health (2^nd edn). London: Sage

Squire C (2009) (ed) The social context of birth. Milton Keynes: Radcliffe Publishing

Bibliography recommended reading

Broderick S and Cochrane R (2012) Perinatal loss: a handbook for working with women and their families. Milton Keynes: Radcliffe Publishing

Marmot M. (2010) Fair society, healthy lives: strategic review of health inequalities in England. The Marmot Review.

Wilkinson R and Pickett K (2009) The spirit level: why more equal societies almost always do better. London: Allen Lane.