The Medicalization of Childbirth: A Brief History For centuries, medicine and religion devalued the roles and traits of females and through patriarchal ideology and misogynist views of women's reproductive abilities, excluded women from power in society. ... However, until the 17th century, childbirth was an exclusively female domain, and men were only involved in problematic deliveries. ... As Cahill (2001) argues, this shift in control is just one of the examples of the hierarchy of knowledge which puts academia above experience, indicating that scientific knowledge is inherently "...

• Word Count: 3380
• Approx Pages: 14
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate