Midwifery as established sect: an expanded application of the church–sect continuum |
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Authors: | Gail E Murphy-Geiss Dana Rosenfeld Lara Foley |
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Institution: | 1. Department of Sociology , Colorado College , 14 E. Cache la Poudre, Colorado Springs, CO, 80903, USA;2. Keele University , Keele, Staffordshire, ST5 5BG, UK;3. University of Tulsa , 800 South Tucker Drive, Tulsa, OK, 74104, USA |
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Abstract: | Based on church–sect theory, this paper asserts that midwifery is much like an established sect in relation to its church equivalent: Western medicine. We find that midwifery can endure in this form – as both protest movement and established institution – because of its ability to maintain its central oppositional values while being accepted as a legitimate, if marginalized, profession. Using interview data from 25 Florida midwives, we draw an analogy between the liminal status of midwifery and three of the most important characteristics of the established sect: limited institutionalization, acceptance and opposition, and a unique value set. This comparison sheds light on both church–sect theory and midwifery, which also leads us to suggest that similar analogies be used for analysis across other sub-fields in sociology. |
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Keywords: | church medecine midwifery religion sect Troeltsch |
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