This master’s thesis deals with the Slovenian health care system of maternity care, the maternity care experience of women who have already given birth, and institutional violence in maternity care, which will be touched on in the subject of fundamental women’s rights. The theoretical part consists of a clear and systematic presentation of the fundamental concepts of maternity care, which focus on institutional hegemony in Slovenian maternity care. The institutional violence in connection with the medicalization of pregnancy is placed under scrutiny, taking into account the technocratic, humanistic, and holistic aspects of childbirth. The field of health legislation in maternity care in Slovenia, as well as in foreign countries, is also examined. The topic of this master’s thesis is dealt with from socio-pedagogical, sociological, health and anthropological perspectives. Every system of maternity care is a unique sum of beliefs, thoughts, and practices, and each birth is specific in relation to cultural background. The systems of maternity care change through space and time. The situation and the role of health workers who are taking care of pregnant women within the institution are changing, as is the possibility of women choosing to control their own body. Technological advances have greatly marked maternity care; new technology has increased the degree of its medicalization, further increasing the institutional violence against mothers. Little attention is paid to the violent maternity treatment of women, in which the will of women is systemically repressed through institutional rules and routine procedures. This kind of treatment roughly violates the rights of women who are giving birth, which is why women can be classed as a vulnerable group. In this context, maternity care is a socio-pedagogical field, because the social pedagogues are those who work towards ensuring human rights and equal opportunities. In the empirical part of this study, qualitative research approach is used to conduct interviews with four women who have experienced childbirth, and a midwife and obstetrician. This study also explores their perspective on the Slovenian institutional maternity care and in which segments they notice its advantages and disadvantages.
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