Sociology 3370F/G Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Childbirth, Humorism, Ontario Health Insurance Plan
6 Mar 2019
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Document Summary
Childbirth as a health event that intersects both biology and culture. Some societies: childbirth occurs at home and birthing women themselves or midwives deliver babies, being de ned as a normal process occurring int he presence of partners/spouses and other children. Special taboos and rituals before and after childbirth: ex. couvade in south africa, full month among chinese women, placenta burial, etc. Midwifery or some form of birth attendance as a cultural universal: ex. women everywhere receive advice regarding pregnancy and birth from informal and formal networks. Childbirth can be controlled by specialists, assisted by traditional birth attendants (ex. parteras) or being completely unassisted: ex. self care. Early midwifes in north america: lay midwives in first nations or pioneering communities from europe. Regional di erences in birth attendance in canada: ex. neighbour networks (ontario) and established professionals (nova scotia, Mid 19th to late 20th century: decline of midwifery in canada, mainly due to biomedical expansion.
