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Emergency Obstetrical Planning in Rural Guatemala: A Case Study

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Maternal Death and Pregnancy-Related Morbidity Among Indigenous Women of Mexico and Central America

Part of the book series: Global Maternal and Child Health ((GMCH))

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Abstract

This chapter shows how planning for obstetrical emergencies is a social process with sometimes unexpected outcomes. I argue that these changes are only visible through an anthropological lens—that is, through ethnographic data collection and analysis—highlighting the importance of anthropology for understanding shifts in public health, particularly maternity care. Using the concept of “reproductive governance” and drawing from ethnographic data collected in rural Guatemala, it demonstrates how emergency obstetrical planning rearranges social relationships in ways that impact care providers’ day-to-day experiences and the role of the state in public health initiatives.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Pennsylvania (former affiliation), Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Beth Hallowell Ph.D.

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  1. Beth Hallowell Ph.D.
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia, USA

    David A. Schwartz

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Hallowell, B. (2018). Emergency Obstetrical Planning in Rural Guatemala: A Case Study. In: Schwartz, D. (eds) Maternal Death and Pregnancy-Related Morbidity Among Indigenous Women of Mexico and Central America. Global Maternal and Child Health. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-71538-4_26

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-71538-4_26

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-71537-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-71538-4

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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