Re: [ozmidwifery] Bullying

[Marilyn Kleidon]

Dear Denise:   Sadly I recognise the truth you have written. I wish I didn't. After reading Carolyn Hastie's work earlier I wrote my senior paper at Seattle Midwifery School on Horizontal Violence amongst midwives. As I found in my research this bullying exists throughout the health professions. Because it can be subtle (as well as fierce) most often we grin and bear it. Also, I don't believe it just exists within the enclaves of beauracracy but is alive and well through the ranks of independent practitioners as well.  I have observed a closing off from those who don't practice as "we" do. The bullying goes in both directions from those of us who are more conservative in practice than alternative and vice versa.  It also embraces the political aspects of midwifery practice.  And I am not considering the healthy discussions of alternative ways to practice that emerge from within healthy professions. This is definetly an area that needs ongoing feminist action research to document it and find ways to strengthen  midwives and the midwifery profession. First off I think we need to acknowledge we belong to an increasingly bullying culture and have developed our own means of pushing and shoving just to keep our heads above water.   Treading water   marilyn     ----- Original Message ----- From: Denise Hynd To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ; [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Wednesday, April 02, 2003 7:12 AM Subject: [ozmidwifery] Bullying Dear All I feel sure one of the reasons many of us are on this list is to gather strength and heal from the effect of bullying as well as to learn and be encouraged in ideas toward humanisation of birth.   I also think one of the main reasons Australia is not a land of midwifery is due to bullying of midwives, women and their supporters. Stories of incidents abound (especially on this list)  and it is evidenced in the predominant negative outcomes  of our national pregnancy and early parenting experiences. For me bullying behaviours usually stop the transference of knowledge to effect change including humanised birth and real midwifery services!   It is not just that women are given inaccurate information about how to birth, more importantly they are too intimidated to listen, hear about and believe or act in their own abilities and to trust (real) midwives to assist them to birth in their own powers.   Historically midwives have been subjugated into subordination to medicine and nursing. Now several generations of Australian midwives have  lived and learnt only this role as well as how in turn to keep themselves and the women in powerless places and belief systems. Thus most of our profession does not recognize that there is a problem in this subordination, is not demanding positive changes (including NMAP), Sadly now most Australian midwives actually believe we (the women and midwives) are safest where we are, that birth is inherently dangerous and we best leave it to the rescue brigade to make the decisions whilst we support them not the women or ourselves!.   If you recognise what I say is true or has some truth and want to understand this common,unacknoledged behaviour pattern in our places of birth, as well as act to change at least your contribution to this toxic culture I recommend you read Carolyn Hastie's article   http://www.acegraphics.com.au/articles/hastie02.html       Denise Hynd   Peace at birth Peace on earth.