ABSTRACT
Midwifery, nursing and social work are generally considered to be semi-professions (Etzioni 1969). In this chapter we analyse the position of midwifery in the Netherlands and argue that it is more than a semi-profession, that is to say, it has more power and autonomy than midwifery in other industrialized nations vis-à-vis the medical profession. We argue that the elevated position of midwives in the Netherlands results from a number of factors, not least the influence of the state on the provision of health care in general and the regulation of health occupations in particular.
