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Publication Date

2024-5

First Advisor

Traci-Ann Wint

Document Type

Honors Project

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Department

Africana Studies

Keywords

mothering, Haiti, Haitian women, autonomy, relational autonomy, reproductive justice, bodily autonomy, othermothering, reproductive decision-making, Lakou

Abstract

In the afterlife of slavery, Haiti’s political, economic, and environmental conditions have created circumstances where many Haitian women grapple with their reproductive decision-making within restrictive environments. Today, Haitian women are widely considered the “Poto mitan” (central Pillars) of Haiti. They play a major role in Haiti’s economy, culture, and society. Despite this positioning, conversations surrounding their lives in relation to autonomy often paint them only in crisis and incapable of creating a life where autonomy is possible. This thesis makes the case that this misrepresentation is the result of the measurement of Haitian women’s decisionmaking practices through Eurocentric understandings of reproductive and bodily autonomy. More specifically, this thesis examines how Haitian mothers’ reproductive decision-making practices in restrictive modern-day Haiti can expand or challenge common understanding of autonomy as it relates to mothering and reproductive justice. Grounded in critical analysis of theory and 6 qualitative interviews with Haitian mothers living in Haiti and the United States, this body of work inquiries into the various ways that Haitian mothers enact alternative modes of autonomy to take control of their lives and the lives of their families under circumstances where they lack economic and institutional resources. The title of this thesis, “Mare sentiw, Mete de pyew atè,” is a Haitian saying which essentially means to brace yourself and stand firmly in reality. This is a saying that many of the interviewed mothers used to describe the mindset Haitian mothers must take to be able to mother in modern-day Haiti. By exploring alternative conceptualizations of autonomy and motherhood, this thesis offers a nuanced understanding of Haitian women’s agency and relationship to reproductive justice beyond the narrow confines of abortion advocacy and underscores the importance of contextualizing their experiences within broader socio-political contexts.

Rights

©2024 Fhrynée Lambert. Access limited to the Smith College community and other researchers while on campus. Smith College community members also may access from off-campus using a Smith College log-in. Other off-campus researchers may request a copy through Interlibrary Loan for personal use.

Language

English

Comments

87 pages. Includes bibliographical references (pages 83-87).

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