The anthropology of childbirth: A study among the molbog community of Banggi Island, Sabah, Malaysia

Given that remote island communities are often left with limited access to health facilities, especially with regard to pregnancy and childbirth, it comes to no surprise that traditional birthing methods and customs are still widely practiced among the Molbog community of Banggi Island, Sabah, Malay...

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Main Author: Yong, Pauline Pau Lin
Format: Thesis
Language:English
English
Published: 2022
Subjects:
Online Access:https://eprints.ums.edu.my/id/eprint/40730/1/24%20PAGES.pdf
https://eprints.ums.edu.my/id/eprint/40730/2/FULLTEXT.pdf
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author Yong, Pauline Pau Lin
author_facet Yong, Pauline Pau Lin
author_sort Yong, Pauline Pau Lin
collection UMS
description Given that remote island communities are often left with limited access to health facilities, especially with regard to pregnancy and childbirth, it comes to no surprise that traditional birthing methods and customs are still widely practiced among the Molbog community of Banggi Island, Sabah, Malaysia. Yet, the documentation of traditional home birthing practices among the Molbog is relatively unheard of. Thus, the main objective of this research was to explore the anthropology of childbirth concerning prenatal care, birth and postpartum practices among the Molbog. An ethnographic approach was used in the data collection that involved living in among the Molbog, observing childbirth and documenting various taboos, bathing practices, and uses of herbal medicine, as well as conducting a series of in-depth interviews with women, family members, village elders and the highly esteemed po’ngungulin (female traditional birth attendants). A second objective of the research was to identify the factors that influence or encourage the Molbog community to continue practising home birth. The current overall scenario is of generally benevolent control of the Molbog women practising their childbirth traditions paralleled with minor forms of medical interventions, especially during prenatal care. Unfortunately, the Molbog community is currently experiencing an increasing medicalization of childbirth and the imminent disappearance of knowledge of traditional childbirth and maternal health practices, when the po’ngungulin are no longer around.
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spelling ums.eprints-407302024-10-10T03:59:12Z https://eprints.ums.edu.my/id/eprint/40730/ The anthropology of childbirth: A study among the molbog community of Banggi Island, Sabah, Malaysia Yong, Pauline Pau Lin GN478-491.7 Social organization Given that remote island communities are often left with limited access to health facilities, especially with regard to pregnancy and childbirth, it comes to no surprise that traditional birthing methods and customs are still widely practiced among the Molbog community of Banggi Island, Sabah, Malaysia. Yet, the documentation of traditional home birthing practices among the Molbog is relatively unheard of. Thus, the main objective of this research was to explore the anthropology of childbirth concerning prenatal care, birth and postpartum practices among the Molbog. An ethnographic approach was used in the data collection that involved living in among the Molbog, observing childbirth and documenting various taboos, bathing practices, and uses of herbal medicine, as well as conducting a series of in-depth interviews with women, family members, village elders and the highly esteemed po’ngungulin (female traditional birth attendants). A second objective of the research was to identify the factors that influence or encourage the Molbog community to continue practising home birth. The current overall scenario is of generally benevolent control of the Molbog women practising their childbirth traditions paralleled with minor forms of medical interventions, especially during prenatal care. Unfortunately, the Molbog community is currently experiencing an increasing medicalization of childbirth and the imminent disappearance of knowledge of traditional childbirth and maternal health practices, when the po’ngungulin are no longer around. 2022 Thesis NonPeerReviewed text en https://eprints.ums.edu.my/id/eprint/40730/1/24%20PAGES.pdf text en https://eprints.ums.edu.my/id/eprint/40730/2/FULLTEXT.pdf Yong, Pauline Pau Lin (2022) The anthropology of childbirth: A study among the molbog community of Banggi Island, Sabah, Malaysia. Doctoral thesis, Universiti Malaysia Sabah.
spellingShingle GN478-491.7 Social organization
Yong, Pauline Pau Lin
The anthropology of childbirth: A study among the molbog community of Banggi Island, Sabah, Malaysia
title The anthropology of childbirth: A study among the molbog community of Banggi Island, Sabah, Malaysia
title_full The anthropology of childbirth: A study among the molbog community of Banggi Island, Sabah, Malaysia
title_fullStr The anthropology of childbirth: A study among the molbog community of Banggi Island, Sabah, Malaysia
title_full_unstemmed The anthropology of childbirth: A study among the molbog community of Banggi Island, Sabah, Malaysia
title_short The anthropology of childbirth: A study among the molbog community of Banggi Island, Sabah, Malaysia
title_sort anthropology of childbirth a study among the molbog community of banggi island sabah malaysia
topic GN478-491.7 Social organization
url https://eprints.ums.edu.my/id/eprint/40730/1/24%20PAGES.pdf
https://eprints.ums.edu.my/id/eprint/40730/2/FULLTEXT.pdf
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