L'origine sociale des sages-femmes françaises : une diversité qui s'amenuise

The number of midwives has risen in a particularly remarkable way, especially in the last decade (2000-2010). This demographic data says much on the changes which mark out this profession and this since the 1980s. Consequently it is not surprising that the sociological profile of the midwives has also undergone changes. Starting from a large questionnaire survey among more than 800 midwives, this article tries to objectify what the midwives generally translate by the vague idea of an “effect of generation”. Through the study of the social origins of midwives via the activity of their parents, it is possible to apprehend a part of the sociological evolution of the profession. The beginning of the 1980s marks a rupture; the socioeconomic origins of midwives borrow a turning point and somehow model the contemporary midwife.