Social Vision on Wet Nurses in the [Spanish] Newspaper "La Vanguardia" (1881-1908)

Abstract

Historically, there have been situations and times when mothers have delegated the breastfeeding process to wet nurses. In the 19th century, wet nurses were represented in the Spanish press reproducing the schemas of the prevailing androcentric social model. We intend to describe and categorize the view of wet nurses as reflected by the Spanish press through the content analysis of the journalistic sources of this period. The conclusions reached show that press reflects the social importance of wet nurse as a social standard element with an essential role in the demographic aspects of society, establishing a dual vision according to the social group the breastfed child belongs to and emphasizing the negative view of wet nurses by doctors, who, during the medicalization of biological processes, address their critics on wet nurses and monopolize their recruitment and selection.