Rethinking the birthing body: Cartesian dualism and perinatal nursing.
OBJECTIVE
This paper highlights the pervasive influence of a Cartesian metaphysics on the medical paradigm and its profound impact on the practice of perinatal nursing in North America.


BACKGROUND
Modern perinatal health care practices are founded on a Cartesian metaphysics that reduce birthing women to the status of object. Such practices deny the holistic aims of perinatal nursing.


METHODS
A philosophical inquiry informs the tenets of this metaphysical discussion regarding the foundations of perinatal nursing practices.


RESULTS
Although perinatal health care is founded on a Cartesian metaphysics, an alternative paradigm of embodied practice is suggested as a way of viewing birthing women as embodied subjects.


CONCLUSIONS
If the foundations of health care, which have been built on a Cartesian metaphysics, are not re-examined, perinatal nurses will be providing care that further reduce women to the status of object.
Goldberg
Lisa
L
Faculty of Nursing, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. lsg@ualberta.ca
D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001828:Body Image; D006694:Holistic Health; D006801:Humans; D007587:Job Description; D016389:Maternal-Child Nursing / Q000379:methods*; D008678:Metaphysics; D008880:Midwifery / Q000379:methods*; D019222:Mind-Body Relations, Metaphysical; D016294:Models, Nursing; D009656:North America; D024802:Nurse's Role; D009773:Obstetric Nursing / Q000379:methods*; D018743:Perinatal Care / Q000379:methods*; D010687:Philosophy, Nursing