Pedagogia umilinței: violență simbolică și formare profesională în educația medicală românească. O analiză sociologică a discursului profesional din mediul online medical
The Pedagogy of Humiliation: Symbolic Violence and Professional Socialization in Romanian Medical Education. A Sociological Analysis of Professional Discourse in Online Romanian Medical Communities

Summary/Abstract: Medical education in Romania remains deeply shaped by hierarchical traditions and symbolic power relations inherited from its institutional past. Within clinical training, humiliation and disrespect often function as implicit pedagogical tools rather than as deviations from ethical norms. This study explores how symbolic violence, professional habitus, and institutional power are reproduced in the discourse of Romanian medical professionals. It aims to understand how young doctors and students experience and internalize hierarchical domination and how these processes affect empathy, motivation, and professional identity. Using a qualitative, interpretive design, the research analyzes Facebook discussions among Romanian physicians regarding experiences of humiliation, mentorship, and respect in university hospitals. Thematic analysis, guided by Bourdieusian and Foucauldian frameworks, identifies recurrent discursive patterns and emotional repertoires that reflect the moral climate of medical education. Findings reveal four dominant themes: (1) humiliation as a ritual of initiation; (2) cultural normalization of abuse; (3) silent resistance and moral survival; and (4) erosion of empathy and vocational motivation. These themes demonstrate that symbolic violence has become a normalized component of professional socialization. The study argues that genuine reform in Romanian medical education must address not only curriculum and infrastructure but also the deeper cultural logic of power, respect, and human dignity embedded in institutional practice.

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