 |
 |
I am really delighted that this discussion group has been established as I think it will definitely fill a gap for midwifery researchers. Many thanks Jane! I am a midwifery lecturer at the University of Wales Swansea, and am in the second year of my PhD. This is exploring the emotional aspects of midwifery, looking at the ways in which midwives experience and manage emotion at work- both their own emotions and the emotions of others. The study makes use of the sociological analyses of 'emotional labour' eg the work by Arlie Hochschild and Nicky James, although my hunch at the moment is that there are other processes at play in midwifery that are as yet unidentified. My approach is qualitative, using focus groups and participant (?) observation with qualified and student midwives. So far I've completed data collection with the students- fascinating stuff which reveals a great deal about the culture of midwifery ( hierarchy, unwritten rules etc) and how these create emotional 'work' for midwives. I've just been extremely lucky to have been awarded the Iolanthe Midwifery Trust Research Fellowship for two years, which will give me time away from the workplace to really get totally into the study and complete the PhD. Wonderful! I'd be very pleased to hear of anyone doing any similar or connected research. I have previously had experience of oral history research (published as The Midwife's Tale) and am still fascinated by this approach. I await the discussions of this group with enthusiasm! Billie %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%