Invisible care and invisible women as health care-providers

The author relates how the social and economical value of care provided by women changed completely with the confiscation of women's knowledge of the use of writing, held in men's hands. Furthermore, the rise of Christianity introduced despising and condemnation of the body, considered as the source of evil. While prosecuting as witches those women careproviders who were matrons and sages, the Church instituted consecrated women to provide what she expected from care-giving, and had them recognized as the socialized model of care-providers. The development of an ideology of care based upon dedication to the poor and salvation of the soul took the place of a fundamental knowledge of body care practices. This paved the way during the nineteenth century for the increased value of technical cure and consideration of care as menial work, worthless, requiring no ability, no knowledge, and therefore socially and economically unrecognized.