Witches, Midwives, and Nurses: A History of Women Healers (Contemporary Classics)
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.58 (739 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 1558616616 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 112 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2013-03-17 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
Barbara Ehrenrich and Deirdre English show how, for reasons of class politics, women's suppression and naked greed, wealthy men discredited, persecuted and outright killed the wisewomen healers, leaving themselves to be the sole practitioners of their 'scientific' medicine. "This booklet will open your eyes. The information presented here gives a whole new perspective to medical history and points to some of the causes underlying our current healthcare mess."--WomanSource Catalog & Review
"Totally new ideas to consider (for me at least)" according to Randi A Samuelson-Brown. I am torn between giving this a Totally new ideas to consider (for me at least) Randi A Samuelson-Brown I am torn between giving this a 4 or a 5 - in a way I would consider this work to be an essay opposed to a "book". What I thought was fascinating:First - the background of the authors (!). Apparently they brought women's studies to women in the 1960's via these pamphlets and talks given in libraries, etc.(never heard of this movement - I really must applaud them.) That alone shows just how far women have come since the 1960's, and is frightening when truly considered. As recently as that point in time, women's bodies had become a foreign territory to be deciphered by the medical establishment regarding fertility, reproductio. or a 5 - in a way I would consider this work to be an essay opposed to a "book". What I thought was fascinating:First - the background of the authors (!). Apparently they brought women's studies to women in the 1960's via these pamphlets and talks given in libraries, etc.(never heard of this movement - I really must applaud them.) That alone shows just how far women have come since the 1960's, and is frightening when truly considered. As recently as that point in time, women's bodies had become a foreign territory to be deciphered by the medical establishment regarding fertility, reproductio. "Very interesting book. Recommended!" according to Jean Spencer. The premise of this book is the coming down through history of the gentle Wise Woman skills that are still used in various ways in Nursing today. It puts that together very well. It's a thought provoker. Good book to expand the thinking and realize how things have evolved And where they still exist in some form today.. This is a perfect feminist retelling of how modern western medicine developed and This is a perfect feminist retelling of how modern western medicine developed and who it crushed along the way. It outlines an under-discussed pattern of oppression and male dominance in medicine since the Medieval period. Even long before the germ was discovered, universities began to train and license witch hunters to weed out female lay healers and herb women in an effort to encourage patients into the care of their newly licensed doctors. Later on, even female midwifery and the revival of the lay healer in the mid 1800s were squelched by university sanctioned doctors and their propaganda campaigns. Until finally at the t
As we watch another agonizing attempt to shift the future of healthcare in the United States, we are reminded of the longevity of this crisis, and how firmly entrenched we are in a system that doesn't work.Witches, Midwives, and Nurses, first published by the Feminist Press in 1973, is an essential book about the corruption of the medical establishment and its historic roots in witch hunters. They build on their classic exposé on the demonization of women healers and the political and economic monopolization of medicine. In this new edition, Barbara Ehrenreich and Deirdre English have written an entirely new chapter that delves into the current fascination with and controversies about witches, exposing our fears and fantasies. This quick history brings us up-to-date, exploring today's changing attitudes toward childbirth, alternative medicine, and modern-day witches.