Date of Award

5-8-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Department

History

First Advisor

Professor Hilary Buxton

Second Advisor

Professor Justin Rivest

Abstract

Midwifery has existed in many forms throughout global history. It is a common remark that midwifery is one of the oldest female professions in human history, second only to prostitution. This tongue-in-cheek comment sheds light on views of women’s place in society, historically. These professions have been valorized, yet they tell us much about women and their historical use to society. While initially seen by Irish and British citizens alike as a woman’s duty, the act of assisting in birth was largely professionalized in the 19th and 20th centuries due in part to inventions in healthcare wrought by British rule. In the West of Ireland, we see a dual history of modernization and imperialism shape the rural healthcare system following the Famine of 1845. In this paper, I study the progression of midwifery as the global healthcare system modernized and Ireland experienced significant political turmoil. I use sources of folklore to find the dynamics of rural midwifery prior to the nineteenth century, governmental and medical texts to understand rural healthcare under a British Imperialist regime in Ireland, and newspaper articles and accounts of actual midwives to understand systems of midwifery following the formation of the Irish Free State. This is not a story of destruction, but instead is a story of devaluation and professionalization of traditional medicine. Regardless of the political atmosphere, social pressures, and geographic makeup, midwives served the people of rural Ireland and acted as a bridge between the government and the people.

Rights Statement

All rights reserved. This copy is provided to the Kenyon Community solely for individual academic use. For any other use, please contact the copyright holder for permission.

Download

Share

COinS