ABSTRACT
This chapter uses different theoretical approaches to analyze the doula profession. Starting from a comparison between the Continental European and the Anglo-American traditions regarding the professions, it moves on to reflections of various scholars and perspectives from the sociology of professions, from the feminists and philosophical literature, and from the health and reproduction sectors of sociology and anthropology. These insights allow the affirmation that the doula is a social care profession. Through their professional activities, doulas aim to fill emotional and institutional voids by empowering women and resituating them as the protagonists of their births. Doula practice is based on an innovative model of care that is ultimately capable of weaving a network of reciprocity for the entire society. Embodying and promoting this care style, doulas wish to transform the cultural, technocratic approach to maternity care into a humanistic approach that encompasses relationship-based care and keeps the woman at the center of that care. Since the doula profession is still missing an official name, in this chapter, Pasian proposes the word “doulaing” to name it. In the Italian context, doulas are used to a jargon full of neologisms to name their work. Doulare—“to doula”—is the infinitive form of the verb that describes the activities of doulas. Doulaggio is the noun to describe the service. Doulesco is the adjective used to describe everything that can reflect the typical doula approach and style. Even if these words are not yet included in the Italian dictionary, they will be in the future, considering that the word “doula” appeared in the Italian dictionary for the first time in 2015.
