“PROFESSIONALS EXPANDED THEIR JURISDICTION OVER DOMESTIC LIFE NOT ONLY AT THE EXPENSE OF PATRIARCHAL AUTHORITY BUT ALSO AT THE EXPENSE OF THE AUTHORITY FORMERLY EXERCISED BY WOMEN OVER CHILDBIRTH, CHILD-REARING, AND DOMESTIC ECONOMY. DOCTORS, PSYCHIATRISTS, SOCIAL WORKERS, CHILD GUIDANCE EXPERTS, AND OTHER SPECIALISTS DERIDED MATERNAL INSTINCT, HOME REMEDIES, RULE-OF-THUMB METHODS, CLAIMING TO SUBSTITUTE FOR THE TRADITIONAL LORE OF WOMEN NEW TECHNIQUES BASED ON SCIENCE, AND UNDERSTOOD ONLY BY THOSE WITH PROFESSIONAL TRAINING. IN ALLYING THEMSELVES WITH THE HELPING PROFESSIONS, WOMEN IMPROVED THEIR POSITION IN THE FAMILY ONLY TO FALL INTO A NEW KIND OF DEPENDENCE, THE DEPENDENCE OF THE CONSUMER ON THE MARKET AND ON THE PROVIDERS OF EXPERT SERVICES, NOT ONLY FOR THE SATISFACTION OF THEIR NEEDS BUT FOR THE VERY DEFINITION OF THEIR NEEDS.”Christopher Lasch, Women and the…
