NegotiatingWa(Harmony): A Qualitative Study About the Challenges Japanese Women Who Live in New Zealand Have in Maintaining Their Birth Traditions

Abstract

Cultural birth customs play an important role in maintaining women’s psychological well-being throughout childbearing. The goals of this study were (a) to explore how Japanese women living in New Zealand keep or perform their birth traditions, (b) to educate caregivers about the importance of these traditions to Japanese women, and (c) to provide an environment within which Japanese women feel able to express and negotiate their cultural practices.Following ethical approval from the Otago Polytechnic Research Ethics Committee (ETHICS 470), 13 Japanese women, who had given birth in New Zealand within the previous 3 years, were interviewed individually, or in a focus group. Transcripts of the interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis. The women were all born in Japan, had moved to New Zealand in their 20s, and lived in New Zealand for a period between 2 and 19 years.The women valued their birth traditions and tried to practice these throughout their pregnancy and following birth. This was not always possible within the New Zealand maternity and cultural setting where there was a lack of support or understanding from family and care providers. There was also limited access to shrines where they could perform the rituals. This caused some of the women to experience cultural conflicts.The desire to maintain harmony with others and the environment is embedded in Japanese culture, and this made it difficult for the women in this study to express their need to fulfill these practices and rituals.Although this study focused on Japanese women’s attitudes and cultural practices, it highlights the importance of being able to maintain a woman’s cultural links, particularly around childbirth. It is essential for caregivers to understand that each woman brings her own cultural understandings and traditions to her birth experience and that the support to practice birth rituals contributes to her peace of mind and well-being.