Maternal Care in Rural Women: Contemporary Experiences of Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Postpartum in the Central Ecuadorian Andes (Phase 2)

This interdisciplinary research project, Phase II, focuses on the contemporary experiences of maternal care (pregnancy, childbirth, and puerperium) among rural women in the canton of Tisaleo, Tungurahua province, in the central Ecuadorian Andes. The study addresses persistent structural inequalities, such as colonial patriarchy and economic precarity, which directly impact maternal care practices, evidenced by higher maternal mortality rates in rural areas compared to urban ones. The research aims to move beyond statistics to thoroughly understand the care strategies, beliefs, and values implemented by women, their families, and medical systems, recognizing maternal health as a social practice linked to social and gender changes. The primary methodology is qualitative research with a situated ethnographic emphasis, utilizing interviews, participant observation, and focus groups with women of different classes, ethnicities, and ages. The expected outcome is knowledge that contributes to understanding motherhood from subaltern perspectives and informs equitable public policies regarding maternal care in rural settings.<br/><br/><b>Goal</b>: <br/>To analyze how beliefs, values, practices, and meanings regarding maternal care are addressed, understood, produced, and reproduced among rural women, their families, the community, and medical providers in the canton of Tisaleo, Ecuador, during pregnancy, childbirth, and the puerperium.<br/><br/><b>Research lines</b>: <br/>Anthropological studies