How Doulas Keep the Care in Women's Healthcare

• In Event: 355 - Section on Economic Sociology Roundtable Session (one-hour).
  In Refereed Roundtable: Table 05. Gender and the Economy

Abstract

Doulas, also known as labor assistants, are a specialized group of care workers who offer physical, emotional, and educational support and advocacy to pregnant women and provide continuous one-on-one support during labor and delivery. Doula services emerged in the early 1990s and are typically offered by white, educated, married women with children who run their own small businesses or volunteer in non-profit community programs. For the most part, doulas are attempting to commodify tasks that have not previously entered the market. These tasks consist of invisible yet largely miscellaneous knowledge and care - both caring for and caring about women. This work is crucial for household, family, and individual well-being. Findings suggest that doulas are facing a dilemma in that the demands of professionalization may contradict the very essence of their work. Based on in-depth interviews with entrepreneurial and volunteer doulas, the sample includes doulas that are certified, currently pursuing certification, lay doulas, and women who were doulas but are no longer. The emergence of doulas in the past two decades offers a rare opportunity to research individuals working in an emerging occupation in present day and to examine their struggles and strategies for legitimacy, while paradoxically still embracing women-centered values. Additionally, examining how doulas balance professional and family responsibilities explores the intersection of gender and class. The proposed paper situates the work of doulas into a theoretical discussion from a range of care work, labor process, and gender literatures on the meaning and value of purchased care in contemporary society.

Author

• Amy Moffat, University of California-Merced