Breonna Riddick (Communication) was a CHR 2023 Summer Research Fellow who spent her time at CHR working on her ongoing project, "Making Birth Stories Matter(s): An Examination of Health, Communication, Culture and Identity through Critical Autoethnography and Narratives of Women Birthing with Doulas."
Bree's work with her local community exemplifies both the type of research that goes on at the CHR and the ways the CHR seeks to use research as repair.
After her recent research talk, the CHR had the chance to talk more with Bree about the development of her work and thought along with the value of having a humanities center at Mason.
What brought you to Mason?
I grew up in the Tidewater area in Virginia and graduated from James Madison University in 2018 with a Masters in Communication and Advocacy. My sister gave birth to my niece in 2017 and I knew I wanted to be pretty close in distance to them. My partner is also from Virginia and we both had a desire to be near our families, so I began looking for Ph.D. programs in or near the state of Virginia. Mason is in a great location that allows me to prioritize my studies while also being close to my family. Coming to the Communication Ph.D. program at Mason after attending JMU was a smooth transition, and I was excited about working with phenomenal advisors in the discipline who are doing impactful research. It felt like the best fit for many reasons.
Tells us about your project.
My dissertation project blends two qualitative methodologies, critical autoethnography and interviews of women who have given birth with a birth doula present. A birth doula is someone who provides informational resources, emotional support and physical support for a person or family throughout pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum periods. Doulas have been shown to improve health outcomes for women giving birth. My goal is to analyze my own stories as a doula and health justice advocate and the stories of others who have used a doula to understand how pregnancy and childbirth is an event during which culture and structure intersect to impact women’s agency and sense of advocacy. Additionally, I am interested in how women discuss their identities and perceptions of cultural ideologies as they narrate their childbirth stories. Gathering these kinds of stories is important for transforming narratives around birth and improving health outcomes for birthing women and future generations.
The work of research often looks different for scholars who are in different fields. What does research look like for you?
Throughout my time at Mason I’ve had the opportunity to work on both quantitative and qualitative research projects. I’ve learned a lot from each of them. For example, during my second or third year in the program my advisors Dr. Clarke and Dr. Craig helped me develop a quantitative survey to assess women’s perceptions of voice, trust and agency with their health care providers. I’ve worked on research focused on centering the voices of marginalized communities to address health inequities related to COVID-19 misinformation with Dr. Zhao and professors in the Schar School. This year, a co-authored book chapter I worked on with Dr. Basnyat and Dr. Kaur (UNL) discussing reproductive justice in the United States was published. Each of these projects, dedicated to improving health equity in various contexts, contributed to my growth as a scholar and researcher. Research, to me, looks like being engaged in my communities. I am mindful that asking challenging questions can help uncover taken for granted assumptions which can be impactful for making change.
What keeps you going or inspires you in your work?
Each year I meet a new student, whether at the undergraduate or graduate level, that says to me, “I don’t know if I can do this.” I think that feeling can creep up whenever we do something challenging. I enjoy encouraging others and reminding them that it is possible to accomplish the goal they have set out to achieve. That’s what keeps me going and inspires me in my work. Providing support for others and sharing my story. The thought that my work may be making a small impact for someone else is inspirational. My community also inspires me-- I have a wonderful support system of people that keep me encouraged.
What impact do you hope to have on your field?
I hope through my work to have a positive impact on health equity for marginalized communities and to contribute to individual and communal wellness within the communities I am a part of. I hope that my dissertation not only provides valuable insights about maternal health care from a communication perspective that considers culture and power, but also expands the ways in which we think about how health communication research is conducted and written. By authentically centering the voices of myself and others, I hope to make a claim that research extends beyond numbers. Research is also the stories that people tell about who they are. I am thankful to have advisors that encourage me to be innovative in my writing and the methodologies I choose.
What is the value of a research community like the CHR?
Having a research community like CHR is valuable to me because it brings together people across disciplines that may not have otherwise met. I’ve enjoyed learning about my cohort members’ research and CHR faculty members’ research. The ability to learn from each other and share ideas about our own projects to gain further guidance strengthens the research we are doing. I’m thankful to be a part of the CHR community.
To connect with Bree and her work, check out her Instagram page at @breathe_breonna or email her at briddic@gmu.edu.
November 28, 2023