Invisible Wounds and Benevolent Harm The Cultural Blind Spot Rearticulating Obstetric Violence as Gendered Structural Violence

Abstract

This thesis critically investigates the invisibility of obstetric violence, focusing on how coercive and harmful practices during childbirth are normalized, dismissed, or justified within institutional and cultural frameworks. The study draws on feminist theory and critical perspectives on power, discourse, and autonomy to explore how medical interventions that violate consent are often rendered socially acceptable through dominant narratives. Rather than attempting to define obstetric violence in fixed terms, the research analyses the mechanisms that obscure its recognition, particularly through what is described as cultural “blind spots” in healthcare and public discourse. The aim of the study is to understand how women narrate their childbirth experiences and how these narratives function as potential forms of resistance. Methodologically, the thesis employs narrative analysis and critical discourse analysis (CDA) to examine both public cases and anonymous survey responses from women who gave birth in Brazil, Sweden, and Ireland. These personal stories reveal how structural power, gender norms, and institutional authority shape the way obstetric violence is experienced, interpreted, and often silenced. The study concludes that storytelling can transform personal suffering into political critique, opening space for greater recognition of obstetric violence and contributing to broader efforts toward reproductive justice.