ABSTRACT
Studies of midwifery (or any profession, for that matter) often begin with a simplistic notion of professional success. State sanction and a measure of status are seen as signs that midwifery has arrived, securing its place in the “system” of professions. However, as DeVries (1993) points out, professional success for midwives must be measured in three dimensions: the interests of midwives as persons, the interests of midwifery as an occupation, and the interests of midwifery as a service that promotes the health and well-being of women and babies. When we recognize that professional success is a multidimensional concept, we begin to see that the interests of midwifery as an occupation can be at odds with those of midwives and their clients. For example, in the Netherlands self-employed Dutch midwives have a great degree of autonomy, but the hours are long and family life is difficult (Bakker et al. 1996; McKay 1993, p. 120;). Benoit’s (1999) research on the “new” midwifery in Canada and Sandall’s (1995, 1997) on the reemergence of autonomous midwifery in Britain also confirm the incompatibility of midwives’ concerns as workers and the needs of clientele.
