Philosophy of birth: unveiling the stereotype

Abstract

The Marie Skłodowska-Curie action "Controversies in Childbirth: from Epistemology to Practices (VOICEs) studies the gender, epistemic, and evaluative biases present in dominant discourses on childbirth from engaged philosophy. It aims at developing a values-based practice to be used in a variety of clinical contexts around childbirth. The project addresses the multiplicity of women´s voices on childbirth, their autonomy and agency. Partners: VOICEs is based at the Faculty of Philosophy of the University of Oxford. It is supported by The Collaborating Centre for Values-based Practice in Health at St Catherine’s College, Oxford. Other partners include the Research in Childbirth and Health group at the University of Central Lancashire, and the ERC Starting Grant BUMP at the University of Southampton. Leader: Stella Villarmea is Professor of Philosophy at the Complutense University of Madrid and Marie S. Curie Fellow at the University of Oxford. She investigates the Philosophy of Birth, i.e., how our notions of childbirth reflect our view of the human being. She is interested in the moral and political justification of our beliefs, the relationship between knowledge and emancipatory action, and conceptual innovation.