Reconceiving Midwifery

Robin Chamberlain is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of English and Cultural Studies at McMaster University.

Reconceiving Midwifery explores the renaissance midwifery has been
undergoing in Canada from the 1970s up to the present. The book is
divided into four sections: the historical and cultural context of
Canadian midwifery, legislation and integration issues, education and
training, and equity and accessibility. Part 1 takes a multidisciplinary
approach, beginning with a sociological analysis by Lesley Biggs. This
is followed by a cultural and anthropological analysis by Margaret
Macdonald. Part 2 focuses on legislation and midwifery in different
regions of the country. In Part 3, specific models of midwifery
education and training are discussed and evaluated. Part 4 tackles
unresolved issues having to do with race and barriers to midwifery care.


With chapters written by both social scientists and midwives,
Reconceiving Midwifery will be useful to midwives and other health-care
practitioners, as well as to scholars and midwifery students. As the
authors recognize, midwifery is in a state of flux, and just such a book
is needed to help make sense of the past, present, and future dynamics
of midwifery in Canada.