Witches, Midwives, and Nurses examines how women-led
healing was delegitimized to make way for patriarchy, capitalism, and
the emerging medical industry.
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.
First published by
the Feminist Press in 1973, Witches, Midwives, and Nurses is
an essential book about the corruption of the medical establishment
and its historic roots in witch hunters. In this new and updated
edition, Barbara Ehrenreich and Deirdre English delve into the
current fascination with and controversies about witches, exposing
our fears and fantasies. They build on their classic expos on the
demonization of women healers and the political and economic
monopolization of medicine. This quick history brings us up-to-date,
exploring today's changing attitudes toward childbirth, alternative
medicine, and modern-day witches.