Verhoef, Marja J.Yumakulov, Sophya2014-09-302014-11-172014-09-302014http://hdl.handle.net/11023/1880Vulnerable populations are under-represented in prenatal education and experience barriers to access despite many programs being free of charge. Understanding how vulnerable women perceive and experience prenatal education can point to what factors might aid in recruiting and retaining them in education programs. I conducted an ethnographic study of prenatal classes at the Calgary Pregnancy Care Centre. Through observations, field notes, and in-depth interviews with participants, four main themes emerged: Perceptions of the class - classes were seen as a source of social support (esp. for lone mothers) as well as formal knowledge about pregnancy and birth; The “nature” of the client – instructors’ assumptions about the “nature” of the clients dictated how the classes were run; Formal knowledge vs. experiential knowledge, and Lone mothers and the role of partners. Prenatal education programs should consider the diverse perspectives which surround and shape vulnerable women’s experiences of prenatal education.engUniversity of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.Public HealthPromotionqualitativeVulnerableEthnographyPrenatalmaster thesis10.11575/PRISM/26047