| A Voice for Mothers: The Plunket Society and Infant Welfare Contributor(s): Bryder, Linda (Author) |
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ISBN: 1869402901 ISBN-13: 9781869402907 Publisher: Auckland University Press OUR PRICE: $14.20 Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats Published: August 2003 Annotation: Covering the history of the Plunket Society from 1907 to the present day, this book is organized around three dominant themes that contribute both to international historiography and to the social history of New Zealand. These themes are the mixed economy of welfare, maternal and infant health, and motherhood and parenting. Discussed in detail is how together these three strands form an important contribution to New Zealand's social history. In particular, the public role of women as welfare providers, maternal and child health provision, and parenting roles and practices are examined. An in-depth study of the voluntary welfare system, this book will be of interest to welfare historians, women's studies historians, social historians of medicine, and government policy makers. |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - History | Australia & New Zealand - General - History | Social History - Social Science | Women's Studies |
| Dewey: 649.122 |
| LCCN: 2003464137 |
| Physical Information: 0.86" H x 6.14" W x 9.22" (1.70 lbs) 200 pages |
| Themes: - Cultural Region - Oceania - Sex & Gender - Feminine - Cultural Region - Australian |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: The Plunket Society, founded in 1907, has been heralded as New Zealand's most successful and famous voluntary organisation. Run by women for women, it played a vital role in the care of mothers and babies for most of the twentieth century, becoming a national and international icon. This comprehensive history of Plunket covers three broad themes: the relationship between the voluntary sector and the State in the provision of welfare, the development of paediatrics, and the relationship between health providers and their clients, the mothers. Bryder stresses, in particular, infant health and welfare, the political pressures applied by the government and medical profession, the influence of the remarkable women who shaped the fortunes of the society, and its diminishing impact in recent years. She also compares New Zealand's experience with other countries like Australia and Britain, and outlines the philosophy behind the organisation. |