Caregiving on the Periphery: Historical Perspectives on Nursing and Midwifery in Canada (McGill-Queen’s/Associated McGill-Queen's/Associated ... of Medicine, Health, and Society)

by Myra Rutherdale (Editor)

Assembling scholars from nursing, women’s studies, geography, native studies, and history, this volume looks at the experience of nurses in Newfoundland and Labrador, northern Saskatchewan, northern British Columbia, and the Arctic and features essays on topics such as Mennonite midwives in Western Canada, missionary nurses, and Aboriginal nursing assistants in the Yukon. Contributors illuminate the larger themes of religion, colonialism, social divisions, and native-newcomer relations. Special attention is paid to nursing in Aboriginal communities and the relations of race to medical work, particularly in connection to ideas of British ethnicity and conceptualized meanings of �"whiteness.” An informative collection of fascinating works, Caregiving on the Periphery provides insight into the history of medicine in Canada and the long-established importance of women for the country’s well-being.

376 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Dasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid undertaking that explores nurses and midwifery in Canada including many that focus on specific women, centering women's experiences throughout. The work highlights women's training, identities, and patients. A standout to me is Marlene Epp's article on Mennonite midwifery and funerary work - highlighting the role of women in a community's experience of both life and death. Interestingly, many of these women's personal lives or training intersected with religious organizations but the authors don't spend much time interrogating or expanding on this relationship which could prove interesting.