The Institutionalization of a Profession

Abstract

A cross-cultural comparison of midwifery in Great Britain and the United States reveals its successful institutionalization in the former and failure in the latter country. Struck by this comparison, a sociological analysis that employs historical data centered in three classes of data— normative, political, and compositional—was conducted Two hypotheses were generated through this analysis which may prove generally useful for testing in modernizing countries. (1) The greater the emphasis on childbirth as a normal physiological process by the medical profession and subsequently by their patients, the more likely the retention of midwifery and its eventual professionalism. (2) The more localistic and diversified the system of legitimization and control of midwives, the less likely internal visibility and a drive for professionalism and institutionalization, i.e., the less likely the development of midw ifery as a visible institution .