In Medical Bondage: Race, Gender, and the Origins of American Gynecology, Deirdre Cooper Owens places Black and Irish women alongside white, male medical pioneers in her story of American medicine. She refers to her female subjects as mothers of gynecology and excavates their experiences as mothers, daughters, sisters, wives, friends, as well as patients. In doing so, she tells the story of Black and Irish women on their terms, not just in relation to the white men who treated their gynecological issues. Why does Cooper Owens think it important to frame her study differently than previous ones that focused on male doctors like J Marion Sims? How does centering the Black female experience in particular, change and expand the story she tells? Provide specific examples to support your claims.
