Summary

The introduction to the second edition of Witches, Midwives, and Nurses (hereafter referred to as WMN) provides context for the original manuscript as well as some important updates to the original text. It roots the original text firmly in the social, cultural, and scholarly world of second-wave feminism while also highlighting its contemporary relevance and correcting past assertions. The second-wave of feminism in the United States occurred in the 1970s, and, among other types of raised awareness, women were beginning to educate themselves about their bodies, the medical industry, and how they have been mistreated by the healthcare system. At this time, Ehrenreich and English began research on the history of women in medicine and healing as well as on how women have been systematically disempowered when it comes to both their own healthcare and their places within...