Employing seventy-eight in-depth interviews with Italian and Jewish American women, this study presents the subjective voices of women caught up in an important social change: the pre-1940 transformation of childbirth. Italian women were more varied in their choices—some were more likely to prefer home birth with a midwife, while others used a hospital clinic or private physician. A significant number moved from home to hospital over their birth careers, while nearly all Jewish women selected physician-assisted hospital birth. These differences are explained by looking at the structure and context of women's family and friendship networks and their personal links to varying childbirth caretakers.

Book Information
ISBN 9780761809111
Author Angela D. Danzi
Format Hardback
Page Count 244
Imprint University Press of America
Publisher University Press of America
Weight(grams) 454g