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South African media and childbirth: an analysis of Living and Loving
Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2021.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | en_ZA |
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2021
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| _version_ | 1867613791949160448 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Birch Jeacocks, Kristen Leigh |
| author2 | Fourie-Basson, Wiida |
| author_browse | Birch Jeacocks, Kristen Leigh Fourie-Basson, Wiida |
| author_facet | Fourie-Basson, Wiida Birch Jeacocks, Kristen Leigh |
| author_sort | Birch Jeacocks, Kristen Leigh |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2021. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/123682 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | en_ZA |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:41:46.341Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2021 |
| publishDateRange | 2021 |
| publishDateSort | 2021 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/123682 South African media and childbirth: an analysis of Living and Loving Birch Jeacocks, Kristen Leigh Fourie-Basson, Wiida Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Journalism. Ceserean section -- South Africa Childbirth -- South Africa Living and Loving Magazine UCTD Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2021. ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The South African private healthcare sector has the highest Caesarean section rate in the world. According to the latest study completed by the Council for Medical Schemes (CMS), approximately 77% of babies are delivered by Caesarean section in the private sector costing around R42,400 per operation compared to between R16,900 – R25,400 per vaginal birth (CMS, 2020:12). There has been an urgent calling for the reduction of what is likely to be extreme levels of medically unnecessary Caesarean section delivery rates. In the same breath, there has been a higher demand for a move away from medicalised births to a return to more natural ones involving less unnecessary intervention in low-risk pregnancies and labours. While the issue of medicalised birth is a multifaceted one, there is speculation as to whether the media has a role to play in painting birth and labour as an event filled with fear and risk that requires urgent, expert medical intervention. This study seeks to understand whether the popular Living and Loving magazine, that focuses on pregnancy, birth, and labour, amongst various other topics, portrays a dominant message concerning childbirth in its publication, and whether this message has changed over the years since its origination in the 1970s. Such a study will inform journalistic practices and demonstrate evidence as to whether journalists are sufficiently enabling readers to make informed decisions about childbirth by trusting the information from such a media product. A content analysis was completed of all articles relating specifically to birth published in Living and Loving between 1970 and 2019. Academic research in this area is limited in South Africa. A study such as this one is necessary in order to decipher as to whether the media are to blame for the number of discourses presently going on concerning Caesarean section rates, midwife-led births, and vaginal births. A major finding was that Living and Loving magazine seeks to actively educate women so that they can make empowered decisions regarding their birth plan. While the magazine was thorough in providing the pros and cons of all birth options, it was clear it leaned more towards vaginal birth without unnecessary intervention. However, this message changed slightly as the years went on, and it is assumed this is due to societal and journalistic pressures to remain objective and balanced as a publication. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die Suid-Afrikaanse private gesondheidsorg sektor het die hoogste voorkoms van keisersnee-operasies ter wereld. Volgens die jongste studie van die Raad op Mediese Skemas (RMS) word ongeveer 77% van babas deur middel van ’n keisersnee in die privaatsektor gebore, teen ’n koste van ongeveer R42,400 per operasie, vergeleke met tussen R16,900 – R25,400 per vaginale geboorte (CMS, 2020:12). Daar word ’n ernstige beroep gedoen vir die vermindering van uitermatige hoe vlakke van medies-onnodige keisersnee-bevallings. In dieselfde asem is daar ’n groeiende aanvraag vir ’n wegbeweeg vanaf gemedikaliseerde geboortes na ‘n meer natuurlike geboorte wat minder onnodige intervensies behels in die geval van lae risiko swangerskappe en bevallings. Terwyl die kwessie van gemedikaliseerde geboorte vele fasette behels, word daar gespekuleer tot watter mate die media daartoe bydra om ’n beeld te skep van geboorte en bevalling as ’n gebeurtenis wat met vrees en risiko geassosieer word en wat altyd dringende, spesialis mediese intervensie vereis. Hierdie studie poog om te verstaan of die gewilde Living and Loving tydskrif, wat op swangerskap, geboorte en die bevalling fokus, tesame met verskeie ander onderwerpe,’n dominante boodskap betreffende kindergeboorte weergee, en of hierdie boodskap oor die jare verander het sedert die tydskrif in 1970 gestig is. Sodanige studie sal joernalistiekpraktyk belig en bewys lewer dat joernaliste lesers genoegsaam in staat stel om ingeligte besluite rakende hul kind se geboorte te neem deur die inligting van daardie spesifieke media produk te vertrou. Daar is beperkte navorsing in die veld in Suid-Afrika. ’n Studie soos hierdie is dus nodig om te bepaal of die media die skuld moet dra vir die vele diskoerse wat tans gevoer word oor keisersnitte, die rol van voedvroue en vaginale geboortes. Die bevindings van hierdie studie is gebaseer op ’n inhoudsanalise van alle artikels oor geboorte wat tussen 1970 en 2019 in Living and Loving gepubliseer is. ’n Belangrike bevinding is dat die tydskrif Living and Loving aktief daarna gestreef het om vroue sodanig in te lig dat hulle bemagtig is om goeie besluite oor hul geboorteplan te neem. Terwyl die tydskrif baie deeglik was in die oorweging van die voor- en nadele van alle geboorte opsies, was dit duidelik dat dit meer ten gunste was van vaginale geboortes sonder onnodige intervensie. Met die jare het hierdie boodskap egter ’n verandering begin ondergaan, waarskynlik as gevolg van samelewingsdruk op joernalistiekpraktyk om aan die vereistes van objektiwiteit en balans te voldoen. Masters 2021-10-07T13:22:33Z 2021-12-22T14:15:40Z 2021-10-07T13:22:33Z 2021-12-22T14:15:40Z 2021-12 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/123682 en_ZA Stellenbosch University vii, 129 pages : illustrations application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Ceserean section -- South Africa Childbirth -- South Africa Living and Loving Magazine UCTD Birch Jeacocks, Kristen Leigh South African media and childbirth: an analysis of Living and Loving |
| title | South African media and childbirth: an analysis of Living and Loving |
| title_full | South African media and childbirth: an analysis of Living and Loving |
| title_fullStr | South African media and childbirth: an analysis of Living and Loving |
| title_full_unstemmed | South African media and childbirth: an analysis of Living and Loving |
| title_short | South African media and childbirth: an analysis of Living and Loving |
| title_sort | south african media and childbirth an analysis of living and loving |
| topic | Ceserean section -- South Africa Childbirth -- South Africa Living and Loving Magazine UCTD |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/123682 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT birchjeacockskristenleigh southafricanmediaandchildbirthananalysisoflivingandloving |