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Indigenous Doulas: Exploitative Work While Caring for Our Relative

Resource type
Authors/contributors
Title
Indigenous Doulas: Exploitative Work While Caring for Our Relative
Abstract
Indigenous doulas in Canada carry added responsibilities as they juggle with cultural and societal expectations to appropriately support their communities and extended relations. They not only face socioeconomic challenges as a result of doula care being excluded from the universal healthcare system, but also deal with the affective costs of caregiving. Through an Indigenous-centred intersectional lens, the idea of Indigenous doula work as exploitative labour is examined under four key areas: (1) the historical role of doulas in Indigenous communities; (2) colonial policies and processes that devalued Indigenous women; (3) colonial policies and processes that devalued birth workers, and; (4) challenges that Indigenous doulas face today. This study aims to provide context to the challenges faced by Indigenous doulas working within the dominant, Western medical system and confines of capitalism. The study concludes that the policies and processes that derived from these systems have led to the hardships imposed on Indigenous doulas, which reveal a need for policy solutions that recognize the value of Indigenous doulas in the healthcare system.
Publication
Social Sciences & Humanities Open
Volume
9
Pages
8 pages
Date
2024
Journal Abbr
Social Sciences & Humanities Open
Language
English
ISSN
2590-2911
Short Title
Indigenous Doulas
Accessed
2/6/24, 7:38 PM
Citation
Hayward, A., Wodtke, L., Phanlouvong, A., Wiebe, S., Kowalski, K., & Cidro, J. (2024). Indigenous Doulas: Exploitative Work While Caring for Our Relative. Social Sciences & Humanities Open, 9, 8 pages. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssaho.2024.100822