Men and women as providers of health care

This paper discusses the sex differential in the provision of health care in the United States. Although women are the overwhelming majority of the health labor force, the key medical functions are controlled by men. This male domination of the division of labor in the medical sector reflects the political, economic and social power structure of American capitalist society.

The consolidation of “scientific medicine” as the dominant mode of medical practice at the turn of the century legitimated and institutionalized the differentiation of occupation by sex. “Scientific medicine” is oriented toward specialized, acute, in-patient hospital treatment with priority given to high-level technology, surgery and drug therapy. These particular functions are primarily controlled by the physician, the vast majority of whom are white, male and upper, or upper-middle, class.

The paper concludes by calling for an examination of the practice of “scientific medicine” as well as for a change in the sex, race and class division of labor in the medical sector.