Returning from the total institution to a home environment: A journey for birthing and dying

The medicalization of both birth and death transformed the settings of care for these two important transitions in life. As the events moved from the home into a hospital, they became part of what Erving Goffman referred to as the "Total Institution." Recently, attempts have been made to overcome the problems of these total institutions with specialized rooms. Using a medical sociological perspective, this article addresses the similarities in the establishment of birthing rooms and dying rooms. This demedicalization of the birth and death experience is a result of the gradual rejection of the total institution and presents an opportunity to seek characteristics of home in these environments.