What Role Did Dias Play In The Globalization Of American Life

Improved Essays
1. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the colonial concerns with birth rates and childbirth conditions were increasing. Specifically, the colonial sympathizers were concerned with maternal and infant mortality rates (Van Hollen, 36). India, along with several other colonial areas, feared the growing trend of “depopulation,” and sought to combat it in the interest of capitalism. While colonists and nationalists argued on the causes of their substandard childbirth conditions, both groups agreed that the “professionalization of obstetrics” would solve the problem. Over time, allopathy would begin to replace indigenous medicines, as the biomedicalization of childbirth continued.

2. Dias are the lay midwives that assist with
…show more content…
The primary tasks of the dai is to cut the umbilical cord and dispose of the placenta and blood, which are seen as degrading (Van Hollen, 39). Additionally, the dias usually hail from the lower castes of Hindu or Muslim communities, which carries a stigma in and of itself. In a colonial context, dias were viewed as unskilled and polluted, a fact that was not helped by the biomedicalization of childbirth and with it, the upsurge of white male doctors engaging in allopathic practices in India. The stigma and public view of dias were directly affected by the professionalization of obstetrics in colonial India.

3. The Countess of Dufferin Fund, or the National Association for Supplying Female Medical Aid to the Women of India, was established in 1885, as well as the Victoria Memorial Scholarship Fund. The funds received some support from the colonial government, but ultimately has to raise money from contributing philanthropists. The goal of the Dufferin Fund was to “bring medical knowledge and medical relief to the women of India” (Van Hollen, 42-43). There were two issues that
…show more content…
The Bhore Committee Report was a four volume report, constructed by the Health Survey and Development Committee, a sector of the colonial government. The report was published in 1946, and its purpose was to analyze India’s healthcare system and making recommendations on how to overall improve health care services in India (Van Hollen, 57). According to Van Hollen, the Bhore Committee Report served as the “template for the structure of health care services in India in the postcolonial era” (Van Hollen, 58). The report recommended the establishment of the three-tiered healthcare referral system, the inclusion of hereditary dias and basic training for them, and the deployment of auxiliary health workers, or “health visitors” (Van Hollen, 58-59). Overall, the effects of the Bhore Committee Report have been positive for the establishment of better healthcare in India. However, one aspect in which the Bhore Committee Report did not excel in was the implementation of health visitors. The concept of health visitors was replaced by that of the multipurpose-health-worker (MPHW) in the mid-1970s. Both a male and a female MPHW was required in each public health center, yet the women were greatly limited in the work they were tasked with. While male MPHWs were involved in public programs such as leprosy, tuberculosis, and malaria, female MPHWs were confined to educating women, collect “census-type” data, and providing general family planning and maternal and infant health care

Related Documents

  • Decent Essays

    Ina May Gaskin on Birth Matters: A Midwife's Manifesta Reflection Ina May Gaskin talks about the birth matters that how the natural childbirths are far more worthy than the medicalization processes. She takes apart the technologies used for the labor, such as inductions or C-section and others. She says that many people argue that technology is better than the nature. More importance is given to the technology instead of nature. However, let’s consider some law of nature that anything which is natural can cause less complications compared to the complications caused by the technology.…

    • 309 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Superior Essays

    “A Walk to Beautiful: Women with Obstetrical Fistulas in Ethiopia” Movie Review “A walk to beautiful” is a heartrending and all to common story of the struggle many women, in middle to low-income countries, are facing when faced with obstetrical fistulas. The story begins with a woman who, because of her obstetrical fistulas has been casted away from her family and community. The woman is then faced with thoughts of despair and loneness in her attempt to raise her daughter, and often contemplates thoughts of suicide. Another women within the community gives her hope has she encourages, Ayehu to seek treatment for her condition in Ethiopians capital Addis Ababa. The remainder of the film focus on Ayehu journey and the journey of other women…

    • 1034 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    These changes in attitudes were a large departure from colonial norms, “The majority were putting off childbearing by marrying somewhat later than colonial women. They were spacing births both to limit childbearing and, particularly in the city, to concentrate child-bearing into the earliest years of marriage. Almost all women were stopping childbearing at even earlier ages” (54)."The fertility transition was a sudden and radical change for those first generations of individual women and men who made a conscious decision to disavow past practices and switch to various family-planning strategies"…

    • 557 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In an essay titled “Sage Femme” the author Samantha Tengelitsch uses many rhetorical strategies such as repetition, contrast, imagery, narrative and certain appeals to develop her argument. Tengelitsch use repetition by writing “my children slept soundly, the dog took little notice” several times throughout her essay which helps emphasize the ease of home birth. The description of the room she gave birth in creates imagery and establishes a peaceful visualization for her audience and illustrates her perspective. The author also uses contrast by displaying the negative aspects of giving birth in a hospital compared to giving birth at home.…

    • 178 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Charlotte Plehn Throughout the 1920’s in America, the concept of being a successful mother and raising a child correctly was something that plagued the minds of mothers, east coast to west alike. The boom of intelligence being brought to the table made for a tricky situation for mothers. “Who do I believe,” “Who can I trust?” were common conflicts that mothers would send into the Children’s Bureau for answers.…

    • 1968 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Decent Essays

    As a country we should be addressing our culture and prejudice against our indigenous Australians. Picture this. You are an indigenous Australian.…

    • 313 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Contraception And Abortion

    • 1423 Words
    • 6 Pages

    The two most important themes related to health in American women 's lives between the late 1800 's and early 1900 's are contraception and abortion. Both contraception and abortion would be a turning point for individual rights as well as medicine. Before the institution of medicine accepted birth control and abortion, women in general were regarded as housewives, child bearers and most served the local communities as midwives and healers to the sick. Even though midwives were highly regarded in their communities, their authority was still superceded by male doctors. Before the coming of abortion, the only way to dispose of a child was through the process of a craniotomy.…

    • 1423 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Mckeown Thesis

    • 1133 Words
    • 5 Pages

    LITERATURE REVIEW Another article to be discussed is titled: The McKeown Thesis: A Historical Controversy and its Enduring Influence. McKeown’s thesis states that advancements in the medical field were not the reason for the population increase in the industrialized world but rather improvements in things such as the standard of living – especially diet and nutritional health which brought about better economic conditions and resulted in an population increase (McKeown, 2002). The objective of this article is to examine the criticism surrounding McKeown’s work and how this in turn has impacted public health research and policy (McKeown, 2002). One criticism against McKeown’s theory is provided by Wrigley and Schofield of the Cambridge Group…

    • 1133 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Since the introduction in American history of the ever made birth control pills starting in 1873, families had decreased its numbers of children since then. In 1873, the federal law had banned the distribution of contraceptives throughout the state lines, but such governor action did not put the distribution of contraceptives to a complete stop. As birth control became a largely distribution in the nation even with such enforcement, many crimes were still committed to which this became known as the criminalization era. Though, to those who distributes these contraceptives have their own techniques that they can majority of the time escapes from their crime in any possible ways. Anyhow, distributors/Americans continue to purchase and produce…

    • 857 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The first American woman to go to medical school was admitted as a joke. The students at Geneva Medical School thought it was a joke when Elizabeth Blackwell applied to attend in 1847, so they decided to accept her. (“Changing the Face of Medicine” 1) Both women I will be addressing have overcame great obstacles to reach the level of success that they have achieved. Two women with different stories. One turned to medicine after a friend who was dying suggested she would have lived if her doctor had been a woman.…

    • 978 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    (CBC, 2011). This essay will examine cultural changes in Canada regarding infant death from a sociological point of view. Healthcare in the mid-20th century (Sociological Imagination) The period following…

    • 1455 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Great Essays

    Buck V. Bell Case Study

    • 1338 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Using the term “savage” to present Natives as carriers of undesirable traits, Unites States continues to encouraged compulsory sterilization of the “unfit.” As the current-day societal problem that it is, forced sterilization can take subtle as well as blatant…

    • 1338 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Great Essays

    Shortly after the turn-of-the-century, nearly two-thirds of the states enacted laws that required sterilization of various criminals, mentally ill patients, epileptics, alcoholics, and people that were poor (Largent, 2011). All of this effort was exerted to prevent undesirable children from being born. It was justified by the assumption that these unfit people aren’t capable of adequate parenting; therefore their offspring could be a financial burden on society. Strong ideals and goals were the weapons chosen by eugenicists to get involuntary sterilization legalized. For the purposes of this paper, this author will focus on the topic of forced sterilization in America.…

    • 1555 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Reproductive rights are the subject of extensive debate in capitol buildings and classrooms alike. In fact, just the other week, a friend and I got into a heated argument over the autonomy of a woman versus that of a fetus. My friend believes that a woman's right to make certain choices- namely abortion- end when fertilization occurs. Conversely, I'm very pro-choice for a variety of reasons. Firstly, I consider myself a feminist and as such value an individual's right to determine their own medical procedures in a higher regard than a fetus.…

    • 1967 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Great Essays

    Birth, Death, and Motherhood in Classical Greece Review Birth, Death, and Motherhood in Classical Greece, by Nancy Demand, focuses on the lives of women in that time period. It illustrates how their lives revolved around the oikos and being a dutiful wife, mother, and daughter-in-law. The book also conveys the limited evidence of women in Classical Greek medicine.…

    • 1063 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Great Essays