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COSTA RICA
Gabriela Arguedas Ramírez
This article presents some preliminary results from a research project whose main purpose is to theorize obstetric violence through the Costa Rican case. It proposes a new theoretical concept: obstetric power. Based on this study, the article reviews relevant theoretical sources and empirical evidence on the subject. Among the available theories, Michel Foucault’s theoretical framework is considered a key reference for analyzing this issue. The study identifies a form of disciplinary power with specific characteristics, linked to the patriarchal structure that shapes gender. From this perspective, obstetric violence emerges as a control mechanism and a generator of specific subjectivities.
