Themes of medical profession and professional socialization in medical sociology textbooks Cover Image

Az orvosi hivatás és pályaszocializáció megjelenése az orvosi szociológia tankönyvekben
Themes of medical profession and professional socialization in medical sociology textbooks

Author(s): Éva Susánszky, Zsuzsa Szántó
Subject(s): Social Sciences
Published by: Debreceni Egyetem Politikatudományi és Szociológiai Intézet
Keywords: medical sociology; education; textbooks

Summary/Abstract: The present study examines the information on the medical profession and howthe changes occurring in the medical practice, the social role and the evaluation of the physicianare reflected in the English and Hungarian language medical sociology textbooks used in Hungary.Method: We analyzed chapters of Hungarian language medical sociology textbooks of thelast 25 years that discuss medical profession and student choices, and textbooks used in Englishlanguage courses of Semmelweis University.Results: The corpus of the Hungarian textbooks (history of medical profession, medical rolemodels, models of doctor-patient relationships, medical socialization) stayed relatively unchanged.While preserving the myth of the medical profession, there are criticisms towards therole and relationship models. The theme of the medical education gradually disappears from theEnglish language textbooks. The social positions of the medical profession and health care arediscussed in a broader context, focusing on the health care system and health care provision,incorporating the allied professions, and taking aspects of patients/consumers into greater consideration.Summary: Both textbook types reflect on the changes in the social position of the medicalprofession. However, the English literature approaches the modernization processes from theangles of the health care system and health care provision, resulting in the diminishing importanceof the topic of medical profession while the Hungarian literature focuses on the professionand professional education of physicians.

  • Issue Year: 6/2017
  • Issue No: 2
  • Page Range: 79-97
  • Page Count: 19
  • Language: Hungarian