Birth and Death Research Group

The Birth and Death research group, which was formed in 2005, brings together service users, practitioners, academics, policy makers and others interested in the subject of reproductive loss.

The core aims of this research group include:

to provide a forum for discussion and debate
to stimulate research, writing and publishing
to promote positive change in education, policy and practice.

Forthcoming events:

January 2010
International Reproductive Loss/Issues

June 2010
Gestational Diabetes
Seminar

Previous events:

1st July 2009
Funeral Directing and Funerals in the UK: A few insights
Brian Parsons
Michael Young Building, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes.

2nd October 2008
Experiencing Reproductive Loss: working together to change practice
Conference programme (pdf)
Abstract booklet (pdf)
Audios for each speaker
Photos of the day (pdf)

2008 - two-day interdisciplinary workshop
'Loss in childbearing' in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia
Download further details (pdf)
Organised by Bregie de Kok, University of Edinburgh

18th January 2007 Symposium and Workshop:
Making a Difference: Experiences of Reproduction and Loss
Funded by the Foundation for the Sociology of Health and Illness
The report is available to download (pdf)

Birth and Death research group publications:

Details about other publications from members of the group can be found at Open Research Online.

Earle, Sarah, Foley, Pam, Komaromy, Carol and Lloyd, Cathy E. (2008). Conceptualizing reproductive loss: A social sciences perspective. Human Fertility, 11(4), pp. 259–262.

Earle, S., Komaromy, C. and Bartholomew, C. (2008) Death and Dying: A Reader (London: Sage in association with the Open University)

Earle, S., Bartholomew, C. and Komaromy, C. (2008) Making Sense of Death, Dying and Bereavement: An Anthology (London: Sage in association with the Open University)

The following are part of a series of articles published in The Practising Midwife exploring social perspectives on reproductive loss:

Komaromy C, Earle S, Foley P and Lloyd C (2007), 'Reproductive loss and the moment of death', Practising Midwife, ISSN: 1461-3123.

Komaromy C, Earle S, Lloyd C and Foley P (2007), 'A social insight into bereavement and reproductive loss, Practising Midwife, ISSN: 1461-3123.

Earle S, Komaromy C, Foley P and Lloyd C (2007) 'The social dimensions of reproductive loss', Practising Midwife, June, ISSN: 1461-3123.

Earle, S. and Letherby. G. (2003) Gender, Identity and Reproduction: Social Perspectives (Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan)

Details about other publications from members of the group can be found at Open Research Online.

Work in progress

Hockey, J., Komaromy, C. and Woodthorpe, K. (forthcoming) The Matter of Death: space, place and materiality (Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan)

Lloyd, C. E., Earle, S.F., Dyer, P.E. and Clifford, S.A. ‘The experiences of pregnancy and childbirth in women with diabetes; development of a research protocol’

Chair of the Birth and Death Research Group

Sarah Earle, Open University

Members

Caroline Bartholomew, Open University
Jan Bleyen, University of Leuven, Belgium
Joan Cameron (email), University of Dundee
Maria Desougi, University of Stirling
Pam Foley, Open University
Bregje de Kok (email), University of Edinburgh
Carol Komaromy, Open University
Valerie Sheach Leith, Robert Gordon University
Cathy Lloyd, Open University
Kate Woodthorpe, Open University

Postgraduate Students

Sarah Church
Hong Chen