Ophra Leyser-Whalen, University of Texas at El Paso, worked with El Jardin Birth and Family Resource Center in El Paso, TX, where she serves on the board of directors. ASA asked Leyser-Whalen about her work:
What is the mission of the organization? El Jardín is a community-based organization that seeks to provide support, education, and a welcoming space to growing families in El Paso. The organization’s mission is to increase community connectivity around birth and early parenting to ensure new moms and families are supported, both physically and emotionally.
Could you describe the project? I have been on the board of directors and have actively helped in developing their educational documentary, Birth Stories, with an anticipated audience of both health professionals and [prospective] parents. The documentary consists of interviews with health professionals, parents, and academics on the maternal healthcare system, particularly in El Paso, which is on the U.S.-Mexico border.
What sociological knowledge and/or skills did you use? I have used my sociological perspective and knowledge on women’s reproductive health to help frame some of the directions taken in the documentary. Moreover, I am co-teaching a course focused on birth with Dr. Adelle Monteblanco, a sociologist and postdoc at UTEP. Last year, students in our course learned about transcription and coding by transcribing some of the raw video interviews for the documentary. We then shared the transcripts and the students’ codes with El Jardin. This semester we are collaborating again, with students in our class doing academic literature reviews on some of the main themes of the documentary. This will not only teach our students about sociological ideas and research but will also provide sociological information and data to El Jardin for their use in the documentary.
How did you connect with El Jardin Birth and Family Resource Center? Through connections with people at the university and in the community through being active in reproductive justice (RJ) groups. RJ is a small community, it’s not hard to know most people working in this area.
How long has the project run? Two years.
