A Discursive Approach to Analyzing the Social Construction of Exercise During Pregnancy

Abstract

While research has demonstrated that exercise is healthy for pregnant women (Ramirez-Velez et al., 2017), many pregnant women do not meet medical recommendations and hesitate to engage in exercise. This may be related to the dominant discourses circulating in society and popular media. For this study, I selected a sample of top-selling pregnancy books to explore the attitudes, beliefs, and ideas circulating in these texts surrounding exercise during pregnancy. I conducted a discourse analysis to deconstruct the meaning of the language used and the advice given. Throughout the analysis, a postmodern feminist epistemology is employed to consider the implications this discourse may have on a pregnant woman. I discovered evidence within the books that represents the current social constructions which may contribute to the lack of participation in exercise amongst pregnant women.