The management of childbirth: A review of sociological research issues

In recent years there has been a great deal of debate and controversy about the management of childbirth, among both the medical profession and the lay public. Perhaps related to this public debate, and to the increasing concern with “women's issues”, there has also been a growing interest among British sociologists in this topic. Unfortunately, this sociological interest may not always be welcomed by obstetricians and policy-makers who may be unaware of the scope of sociology and regard sociological contributions as over-simplified or biased. This paper outlines possible sociological approaches, reviews debates about home versus hospital confinements and the active management of labour, and formulates research questions to which the sociology of reproduction might address itself.