Kiera Keglowitsch
MA in Gender and Social Justice Studies (2020)
Capstone Project: Delivering Middle-Class Mothering and Birth
Bio: Kiera began her post-secondary academic journey while working as a professional ballet dancer. Through attending evening courses at the University of Alberta and online courses through Athabasca University, Kiera completed her undergraduate degree with a major in Biological sciences and a Minor in Gender Studies. Passionate about integrating her interests in healthcare and gender studies, Kiera applied to the Master’s of Gender and Social Justice and was accepted as part of the 2019 cohort. While in the GSJ program, Kiera completed courses from a variety of fields including the School of Public Health the Faculty of Law, and completed research projects ranging from choreographed dances to written papers to social campaigns for free menstrual products in Edmonton public schools. Although fascinated by the wide variety of topics encountered within the GSJ program, much of Kiera’s research centered on women’s health and experiences within healthcare settings. Kiera’s capstone project was grounded in a discourse analysis of Canadian parenting blogs that outlined some women’s experiences of shame, failure, and disappointment after having delivered via caesarean. The project explored feminist theories of shame and their applications in the particular phenomenon of post-caesarean shame. It also drew connections between neoliberal conceptualizations of agency and expectations of middleclass Canadian motherhood to outline the disciplinary function of post-caesarean shame. Kiera is now in her first year of Medical School at the University of Alberta and is excited to carry her experience in the GSJ program into her medical education, work, and research.