was able to establish relationships with several indigenous midwives whose families I already knew both from prior research experience and mutual friend­ ships. These relationships enabled me to obtain detailed information regarding obstetrical practice and thus form the foundation of this book. The fieldwork upon which the book is directly based was conducted between June 1976 and December 1977 and sponsored by the F ord-Rockefeller Popula­ tion Policy Program, the Social Science Research Council, the National Science Foundation, and the FUlbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Program. The Ford-Rockefeller Population Policy Program funded the project as a collab­ oration between myself and Professor Eusebe Alihonou, Professor Agrege (Gynecologie-Obstetrique) at the National University of Benin.