For this week’s activity post, I have decided to read about “authoritative knowledge” written by Brigitte Jordan and relate it to how the culture in Cambodia affects the birthing process from conception to delivery. As most people know, when you are pregnant, there are certain things that you can’t do because it can be harmful for the baby. Most of the time this is related to the big things like not drinking, doing drugs, taking certain medications, consuming too much caffeine, avoiding uncooked meats, etc. In Cambodia, women are also prohibited from doing certain things to help protect the baby as well as themselves. For example, women are not allowed to eat spicy foods because it makes it difficult for the infant to survive if she does. The mother should not try to get anything off of the top shelf and most importantly, she should never eat porridge while pregnant. If an expecting mother eats porridge during her pregnancy, her baby will have a bad/dull complexion. It is also said that if there is a lunar or solar eclipse, the mother must rub CaCO3 on her belly in order to “eye fold” the baby so that he or she does not see the face of the evil and powerful Rahu. If this is not followed, the baby will be born less intelligent due to seeing the Rahu’s face. It is said the baby loses his or her memory when that happens (Seiyon, 2013). Pregnant women should also never attend a funeral or visit another woman that has had difficulties while she was giving birth for the sake of protecting the baby. (Dareth, 2017).
Cambodia actually has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world. Approximately 1,200 mothers pass away out of every 100,000 (UNICEF). Midwives play a huge role in the delivery process. This is all heavily connected by Brigitte Jordan’s viewpoint on authoritative knowledge. She talks about the power and authority in the labor room, how there is a hierarchy with the staff that are present. I think this is how midwives are seen in Cambodia because of their dominant power and knowledge in the process. They are the ones that help the mother “cross the river” which is a term often used to describe giving birth and means that the process could go smoothly but easily turn difficult (UNFPA). Many women in Cambodia only know of cultural traditions and lack information on how to care for a baby and what all she must do to have a healthy and happy baby. Midwives are the ones who help inform and properly take care of the mother and baby after birth. Midwives make it very easy for women to have their baby at home. Hospitals usually keep everything clean and sanitized so having an at home birth exposes the newborn to vaginal bacteria, microbes, and other bacteria that can be important in getting the baby to have a great immune system which shapes the baby drastically (The Conversation).
One thing that mothers do after delivering their baby, is wear hot clothes and cover themselves in warm blankets to keep themselves warm as well as their baby. They do this for about a month, sometimes longer. It helps regenerate the mother and help her avoid any health problems in the future. (Frederic, 2012). Another tradition is that after the mother gives birth, the placenta of the baby is buried in the yard and then the mother is then “roasted” by laying on a bed that has a fire underneath it. This is because the body heats up faster and all the bodily fluids and blood flows out of the body faster and the mother then makes a faster recovery (Carter, 2015).
To tie it all together, Brigitte talks about how authoritative knowledge and power plays a role in an American obstetrics ward and an airline operating room. Both scenarios are linked to the knowledge of what the doctors/staff have and the activity in an operations room. They are all based around the technology that is present and who knows best how to navigate and use such technology. Taking charge in each situation is more persuasive for the women giving birth and the people that are going to fly. It is more natural and easier for people to trust those who know exactly what they are doing. It isn’t just the fact that they have the job title, but that they are good at their job and do it well while using the resources that are there.
Jordan, Brigitte. “Technology and Social Interaction: Notes on the Achievement of Authoritative Knowledge in Complex Settings”. 1992. 1https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FbFM9GAdVZ_AwFNteaNXNP1M0zBEk7Jm/view
JANSSENS, FRÉDÉRIC. “Birth, Wind and Fire: Birth Traditions in Cambodia.” Southeast Asia Globe, 31 May 2019, southeastasiaglobe.com/birth-wind-and-fire/.
Carter, Malcolm. “For Many Cambodians, Giving Birth Is Perilous Journey.” I, On Cambodia, 14 July 2015, malcolmcarter.wordpress.com/2015/07/16/for-many-cambodians-giving-birth-is-perilous-journey/.
“In Cambodia, Bringing Essential Care to Children and Mothers in Remote Communities.” UNICEF, www.unicef.org/stories/cambodia-bringing-essential-care-children-and-mothers-remote-communities.
Seiyon. “A Traditional of Giving Birth in Cambodia.” Visit Angkor Wat, 3 Sept. 2017, www.visit-angkor.org/blog/2013/01/03/a-traditional-of-giving-birth-in-cambodia/.
Dareth, Sophearith. “Tradition and Superstitions around Childbirth and Pregnancy in Cambodia.” Medium, Medium, 17 Oct. 2017, medium.com/@voicesofyouthcambodia/tradition-and-superstitions-around-childbirth-and-pregnancy-in-cambodia-146d5cff6208.
News Sources:
“‘Crossing the River’ to a Safe Delivery in Rural Cambodia.” United Nations Population Fund, 29 Mar. 2019, www.unfpa.org/news/crossing-river-safe-delivery-rural-cambodia.
Combellick, Joan. “Home Birth May Start Babies off with Health-Promoting Microbes.” The Conversation, 18 July 2019, theconversation.com/home-birth-may-start-babies-off-with-health-promoting-microbes-119045.