The Professionalization of Childbirth in America
Abstract
This paper discusses the role of medical professionalization in an American
definition of childbirth. Using sociological theories, it articulates the connection between
the construction of a profession and the establishment of power relations within a
professional setting, by specifically looking towards the medical model of childbirth.
Through the dissection of the construction of power and authority, this paper hopes to
elicit the problems inherent in viewing birth as a medical event and begins to formulate a path to a transformation in current birthing practices in America.