Remote dwelling Aboriginal Australian women and birthing: a critical review of literature

Objective: The aim of this literature review is to critically analyse the policy documents informing maternity services policy and scholarly literature on the birthing experiences (including the provision of maternity services) of Aboriginal Australian women from remote communities from an Indigenous standpoint. Method: Policy documents and scholarly literature were critically analysed to identify who the authors were, their background, approaches and perspectives; and emergent themes. A further analysis of the literature drew on Fairclough's ideas on discourse, power and hegemony. Findings: A critical discourse analysis of this literature exposed how these texts are ideologically shaped to give voice (and power) to the medical fraternity, maternity care services practitioners and policy makers (whose knowledge is valued) while simultaneously silencing the voices of Aboriginal Australians that pose a challenge to that power. Conclusion: This critical review of current literature highlights the importance of ongoing critique of maternity services policy and practice discourse necessary to combat western medical hegemony that maintains the disenfranchisement of Aboriginal Australians