HS250
Conceptualizing Medicalization: Midwifery and the Health Care System
0.5 Credit

Medicalization is the process by which everyday experiences become categorized and treated as medical issues. Throughout the 20th century, Western societies have become increasingly medicalized, and this change has lead to shifts in our language, attitudes and practices. The transition to motherhood has been particularly affected by these processes. This course will take medicalization as a core concept through which to understand the history of pregnancy and childbirth, with a specific focus on the role of midwifery in the Canadian healthcare system.