Department of History, University of Pardubice

Venue: Dacicky House, Kutna Hora, Czech Republic
Date: 01.-02.11.2018
Proposals by: 30.08.2018

The phenomenon of midwifery has been studied in the past decades often as a part of the process of modernization of society. Within this paradigm, the history of obstetrics was characterized as a permanent development of scientific knowledge, professionalization of the performance of childbirth assistance and masculinization of the obstetric profession. In hosting this conference, the organizers primary objective is to stimulate a discussion about changing position of the midwifery and female midwives in the modern era not only as a profession but as a social and cultural phenomenon.

Following fields of research are suggested:

1) Economic aspects of the midwifery: Was a profession of midwifery for practicing midwives really an independent occupation in terms of the economic and social independence or should we see childbirth assistance only as a part-time job opportunity for lower classes? To what extent were midwives dependent on other sources of income or financial support of relatives and local community? To determine regional differences in midwives‘ position and the proportion of their representation to their potential clients, a comparative study will be very beneficial to specify the differences between various typological locations – large cities, small towns, villages and remote and isolated communities. Read more and source … (Web)