Interweaving ethnography and autoethnography, this book documents the emergence of doulas as care professionals in Italy. It considers their training, practices, and representation, and analyses their role in national and international context.

Autorentext

Pamela Pasian is a post-doctoral research fellow at Ca'Foscari University of Venice, Italy and Professor of "Sociology of the Family" at the University of Padua, Italy.

Klappentext

This book documents the emergence of doulas as care professionals in Italy, considers their training, practices, and representation, and analyses their role in national and international context. Doulas offer emotional, informational and practical support to women and their families during pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period. Pamela Pasian explores the development of this 'new' profession and how doulas are defining their space in the Italian maternity care system. Whilst doulas are gaining recognition they are also facing opposition. The book reflects on the conflicts and collaborations between doulas and midwives, as well as relations between different doula associations. Interweaving ethnography and autoethnography, it will be of interest to anthropologists, sociologists and those working in health and maternity care.

Inhalt

Introduction 1. Doulas: From Their Origins to Their Present Status 2. The Emergence of Doulas in Italy 3. Keys for Studying the Doula Profession 4. Doula Training 5. The Doula Profession 6. Doulas and Midwives Conclusion: The doula profession in Italy: From illusory inconsistency to patchwork consistency