| Popis: |
The purpose of this research is to explore the maternal health experiences of immigrant women in southeast Ohio, as well as the differences among those experiences. Common narratives often paint immigrant women as having homogenous maternal healthcare needs and outcomes, and they are viewed as vulnerable and unable to make their own healthcare decisions. Current research has focused on the negative maternal health experiences of immigrants in urban spaces and has, therefore, failed to include populations from rural environments. Athens, Ohio, the primary area where the maternal experiences in this research took place, is a rural environment that has limited maternal healthcare facilities. It does, however, have numerous community resources and is closely connected to Ohio University, which makes it a unique research location to examine immigrant experiences. Consequently, this thesis will examine the significance of spatial context coupled with the frameworks of intersectionality, Othering’, and authoritative knowledge to uncover the factors that contribute to the positive maternal healthcare experiences of immigrant women. Uncovered from semi-structured interviews were three factors participants used to describe their positive experiences. These are interactions with healthcare providers, community resources and support structures, and differences in maternal healthcare from their home countries. I conclude that although the rural spaces of Southeast Ohio provide limited maternal healthcare services, immigrant women have access to numerous community resources and connections to the international student population at Ohio University. This connection contributes to the agency of immigrant women that allows them to defy common narratives in which immigrant women are often viewed under racialized assumptions. |
