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Chapter 15. ‘Even if there were procedures, we will be acting at our own discretion…’

General practitioners’ struggle about identity
  • Agnieszka Sowińska
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Identity Struggles
Ein Kapitel aus dem Buch Identity Struggles

Abstract

The objective of this chapter is to explore how Polish general practitioners (GPs) discursively negotiate their professional identities in relation to their emotions and to the barriers they face in the healthcare system, while dealing with patients presenting Medically Unexplained Symptoms (MUS). The data come from four focus group interviews with 14 Polish GPs and were gathered as part of an international project (Czachowski et al. 2012). This study focuses on the doctors’ identity struggle to combine often competing sets of expectations. Specifically, it shows how the GPs look for ways of balancing the patients’ expectations with emotions, on the one hand, and the professional ethos attached to their roles, impeded by institutional barriers, on the other. It explores discursive strategies of distancing-mitigation, legitimisation and idealisation, drawn upon by the GPs to cope with these identity struggles.

Abstract

The objective of this chapter is to explore how Polish general practitioners (GPs) discursively negotiate their professional identities in relation to their emotions and to the barriers they face in the healthcare system, while dealing with patients presenting Medically Unexplained Symptoms (MUS). The data come from four focus group interviews with 14 Polish GPs and were gathered as part of an international project (Czachowski et al. 2012). This study focuses on the doctors’ identity struggle to combine often competing sets of expectations. Specifically, it shows how the GPs look for ways of balancing the patients’ expectations with emotions, on the one hand, and the professional ethos attached to their roles, impeded by institutional barriers, on the other. It explores discursive strategies of distancing-mitigation, legitimisation and idealisation, drawn upon by the GPs to cope with these identity struggles.

Kapitel in diesem Buch

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Dedication v
  3. Table of contents vii
  4. Acknowledgements xi
  5. Chapter 1. Introduction 1
  6. Part I. Struggling to construct professional competence
  7. Chapter 2. Coping with uncertainty 21
  8. Chapter 3. Constructing a “competent” meeting chair 39
  9. Chapter 4. Juggling “I”s and “we”s with “he”s and “she”s 57
  10. Chapter 5. Epistemic “Struggles” 79
  11. Chapter 6. Who’s the expert? 95
  12. Part II. Struggling to (de-)construct in-group membership
  13. Chapter 7. You’re a proper tradesman mate 127
  14. Chapter 8. Indian women at work 147
  15. Chapter 9. The dynamics of identity struggle in interdisciplinary meetings in higher education 165
  16. Chapter 10. Laughables as a resource for foregrounding shared knowledge and shared identities in intercultural interactions in Scandinavia 185
  17. Chapter 11. Workplace conflicts as (re)source for analysing identity struggles in stories told in interviews 207
  18. Chapter 12. Identities on a learning curve 225
  19. Part III. Struggling to combine (sometimes competing) expectations
  20. Chapter 13. Managing patients’ expectations in telephone complaints in Scotland 243
  21. Chapter 14. Identity work in nurse-client interactions in selected community hospitals in Kenya 263
  22. Chapter 15. ‘Even if there were procedures, we will be acting at our own discretion…’ 281
  23. Chapter 16. A kind of work 299
  24. Chapter 17. Adapting self for private and public audiences 317
  25. Chapter 18. “I speak French=eh” 335
  26. Part IV. Struggling to define identity boundaries
  27. Chapter 19. The discursive accomplishment of identity during veterinary medical consultations in the UK 355
  28. Chapter 20. Embracing a new professional identity 371
  29. Chapter 21. Identity and space 387
  30. Chapter 22. Household workers’ use of directives to negotiate their professional identity in Lima, Peru 407
  31. Chapter 23. ‘We’re only here to help’ 427
  32. Chapter 24. Epilogue 445
  33. Index 455
https://doi.org/10.1075/dapsac.69.15sow

Kapitel in diesem Buch

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Dedication v
  3. Table of contents vii
  4. Acknowledgements xi
  5. Chapter 1. Introduction 1
  6. Part I. Struggling to construct professional competence
  7. Chapter 2. Coping with uncertainty 21
  8. Chapter 3. Constructing a “competent” meeting chair 39
  9. Chapter 4. Juggling “I”s and “we”s with “he”s and “she”s 57
  10. Chapter 5. Epistemic “Struggles” 79
  11. Chapter 6. Who’s the expert? 95
  12. Part II. Struggling to (de-)construct in-group membership
  13. Chapter 7. You’re a proper tradesman mate 127
  14. Chapter 8. Indian women at work 147
  15. Chapter 9. The dynamics of identity struggle in interdisciplinary meetings in higher education 165
  16. Chapter 10. Laughables as a resource for foregrounding shared knowledge and shared identities in intercultural interactions in Scandinavia 185
  17. Chapter 11. Workplace conflicts as (re)source for analysing identity struggles in stories told in interviews 207
  18. Chapter 12. Identities on a learning curve 225
  19. Part III. Struggling to combine (sometimes competing) expectations
  20. Chapter 13. Managing patients’ expectations in telephone complaints in Scotland 243
  21. Chapter 14. Identity work in nurse-client interactions in selected community hospitals in Kenya 263
  22. Chapter 15. ‘Even if there were procedures, we will be acting at our own discretion…’ 281
  23. Chapter 16. A kind of work 299
  24. Chapter 17. Adapting self for private and public audiences 317
  25. Chapter 18. “I speak French=eh” 335
  26. Part IV. Struggling to define identity boundaries
  27. Chapter 19. The discursive accomplishment of identity during veterinary medical consultations in the UK 355
  28. Chapter 20. Embracing a new professional identity 371
  29. Chapter 21. Identity and space 387
  30. Chapter 22. Household workers’ use of directives to negotiate their professional identity in Lima, Peru 407
  31. Chapter 23. ‘We’re only here to help’ 427
  32. Chapter 24. Epilogue 445
  33. Index 455
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Heruntergeladen am 26.9.2025 von https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1075/dapsac.69.15sow/html
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