Putting embodied knowledge into practice: a follow up study of graduates from complementary medicine training courses
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Birmingham
Department Name: Health and Population Sciences
Abstract
The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is an interesting social phenomenon for at least one, very simple, reason: one in ten people every year and one in three in their lifetimes use, and usually pay out of pocket, for CAM in the UK, when they have access to 'modern scientific' healthcare free at the point of use. Sociological studies of health and illness have traditionally focused on the practice of medical doctors to the neglect of understanding individuals' own ways of dealing with health problems within their family or community. In fact, most cases of illness (especially milder symptoms) are never seen by doctors. CAM therapists constitute a 'mid-way' between formal medical care and informal care by family or friends. Research into CAM is growing, especially studies that look at why patients use CAM therapies and the effectiveness of individual treatments. However, we still know surprisingly little about the practitioners of these types of therapy. CAM is a rapidly growing way for people to seek health advice and care, so it is important to understand more about the knowledge and skills that underpin this kind of healthcare, and how practitioners attempt to ensure the safety and quality of their practice.
This study seeks to understand more about issues such as patient safety, regulation of practitioners and questions about the knowledge on which the practices are based. This will benefit the public who will have access to better information about these CAM therapies; mainstream health care practitioners who currently find it difficult to advise their patients about CAM because there is so little research in the field; and CAM professions because it will provide an independent insight into many of the key challenges that they are facing at the moment, including preparing students for practice.
The Principal investigator (PI) is well placed to do this study. For her PhD, she undertook a study of students of two complementary therapies: osteopathy and homeopathy. She observed and participated in their classes over an academic year to understand their learning process. This kind of study had not been done before and the results brought new insights into the kind of knowledge about health, illness and the body that these two professions claim, in particular, the extent to which their knowledge is 'embodied'. This means that their knowledge and skills can not be represented by words in text books but are the result of an accumulation of bodily and sensory experiences, relating for example to touch or communication about emotions. This has important implications for the way that these practitioners are trained and regulated. Since then, the PI has worked closely with these professions on issues such as accrediting educational courses and patient safety in practice. She has also successfully applied for funding to run an academic conference on the regulation of these professions.
For this study, the PI proposes to contact individuals who participated in the original study and have now gone into practice to find out about their careers and the ways in which their knowledge and skills have developed since graduating. Most complementary therapists work independently rather than having established career structures like doctors, nurses or midwives, so it will be interesting to find out how they ensure they have enough support and continue to develop their skills. This is also a unique opportunity because the research will be able to directly compare the values and practices articulated in training with how they are put into practice after graduation. The study will involve not only talking to practitioners about their experience, but also actually watching them in their daily working lives to see if what their say is the same as what they do, and to enable real events to spark off detailed discussions about how they deal with the realities of daily practice.
This study seeks to understand more about issues such as patient safety, regulation of practitioners and questions about the knowledge on which the practices are based. This will benefit the public who will have access to better information about these CAM therapies; mainstream health care practitioners who currently find it difficult to advise their patients about CAM because there is so little research in the field; and CAM professions because it will provide an independent insight into many of the key challenges that they are facing at the moment, including preparing students for practice.
The Principal investigator (PI) is well placed to do this study. For her PhD, she undertook a study of students of two complementary therapies: osteopathy and homeopathy. She observed and participated in their classes over an academic year to understand their learning process. This kind of study had not been done before and the results brought new insights into the kind of knowledge about health, illness and the body that these two professions claim, in particular, the extent to which their knowledge is 'embodied'. This means that their knowledge and skills can not be represented by words in text books but are the result of an accumulation of bodily and sensory experiences, relating for example to touch or communication about emotions. This has important implications for the way that these practitioners are trained and regulated. Since then, the PI has worked closely with these professions on issues such as accrediting educational courses and patient safety in practice. She has also successfully applied for funding to run an academic conference on the regulation of these professions.
For this study, the PI proposes to contact individuals who participated in the original study and have now gone into practice to find out about their careers and the ways in which their knowledge and skills have developed since graduating. Most complementary therapists work independently rather than having established career structures like doctors, nurses or midwives, so it will be interesting to find out how they ensure they have enough support and continue to develop their skills. This is also a unique opportunity because the research will be able to directly compare the values and practices articulated in training with how they are put into practice after graduation. The study will involve not only talking to practitioners about their experience, but also actually watching them in their daily working lives to see if what their say is the same as what they do, and to enable real events to spark off detailed discussions about how they deal with the realities of daily practice.
Planned Impact
Given the growing importance of CAM both in terms of its increasing use in most industrialized countries, and in terms of its politicisation due to its contested knowledge base, there will be a number of non-academic beneficiaries from the research. These are:
Small businesses and the self-employed in the CAM sector and policy makers and regulators in the business and enterprise field: CAM is a growing sector of SMEs (small and medium enterprises) (Mintel 2007), and given the wider growth in the care industry, this research will offer insights about the key issues facing people making a living in this way. A member of the steering group from the Department of Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform will support the project in terms of policy and business implications.
Educational institutions in the CAM sector: The challenges of maintaining a high quality, safe and financially sustainable practice need to be address by educational institutions. This work will highlight the challenges faced by graduates and inform curricula development.
Policy makers and regulators in the health field: Many changes are underway in the regulation of CAM, and this project will provide insights into the challenges of regulating this diverse group of practices (Gale 2011b). In addition, there is an increasing demand from NHS patients to provide CAM service, but ongoing problems with integration of services, which this project will be able to provide insight to in terms of the governance and professional development of practitioners.
Professionals in the CAM and conventional healthcare sectors: Currently one of the biggest problems is lack of communication between the CAM and conventional sectors, not least because patients often do not tell their doctors about their use of CAM because they are wary of negative responses or do not think it is relevant. The inclusion of a general practitioner and CAM practitioners on the study reference group will guide the best form of dissemination to promote a more constructive relationship.
The Study Reference Group (SRG) will provide a forum for debating these issues in terms of:
the design of the study (questions to ask in the interview, focus of observations)
the analysis of the data (anonymized data on emerging findings will be shared with the SRG to gain different perspectives)
the dissemination of the findings (identifying appropriate methods of dissemination, developing the timetable for a User Dissemination Event, identifying potential future projects or applications of the research).
The Study Website will provide the means for accessing a wider audience, including those from abroad. The conference the PI is running in May 2011 on the Regulation and Professionalization of CAM is being attended by delegates from Australia, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, Canada, Saudi Arabia and India. Many of these countries, in part due to the World Health Organisation declaration on Traditional Medicine (2000) are facing very similar issues in terms of the growing use and provision of CAM.
Small businesses and the self-employed in the CAM sector and policy makers and regulators in the business and enterprise field: CAM is a growing sector of SMEs (small and medium enterprises) (Mintel 2007), and given the wider growth in the care industry, this research will offer insights about the key issues facing people making a living in this way. A member of the steering group from the Department of Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform will support the project in terms of policy and business implications.
Educational institutions in the CAM sector: The challenges of maintaining a high quality, safe and financially sustainable practice need to be address by educational institutions. This work will highlight the challenges faced by graduates and inform curricula development.
Policy makers and regulators in the health field: Many changes are underway in the regulation of CAM, and this project will provide insights into the challenges of regulating this diverse group of practices (Gale 2011b). In addition, there is an increasing demand from NHS patients to provide CAM service, but ongoing problems with integration of services, which this project will be able to provide insight to in terms of the governance and professional development of practitioners.
Professionals in the CAM and conventional healthcare sectors: Currently one of the biggest problems is lack of communication between the CAM and conventional sectors, not least because patients often do not tell their doctors about their use of CAM because they are wary of negative responses or do not think it is relevant. The inclusion of a general practitioner and CAM practitioners on the study reference group will guide the best form of dissemination to promote a more constructive relationship.
The Study Reference Group (SRG) will provide a forum for debating these issues in terms of:
the design of the study (questions to ask in the interview, focus of observations)
the analysis of the data (anonymized data on emerging findings will be shared with the SRG to gain different perspectives)
the dissemination of the findings (identifying appropriate methods of dissemination, developing the timetable for a User Dissemination Event, identifying potential future projects or applications of the research).
The Study Website will provide the means for accessing a wider audience, including those from abroad. The conference the PI is running in May 2011 on the Regulation and Professionalization of CAM is being attended by delegates from Australia, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, Canada, Saudi Arabia and India. Many of these countries, in part due to the World Health Organisation declaration on Traditional Medicine (2000) are facing very similar issues in terms of the growing use and provision of CAM.
People |
ORCID iD |
Nicola Gale (Principal Investigator) |
Publications
Gale N
(2014)
The Sociology of Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicine.
in Sociology compass
Gale, NK
(2014)
How can you make a career as a complementary therapist?
Gowing C
(2018)
'You cannot get enough of them!' The rise (and fall) of complementary therapies in British nursing practice in the 1980s and 1990s
in Journal of Historical Sociology
Wilkinson, J And Gale, N
(2015)
Towards a learning profession? Adapting clinical governance for complementary and alternative medicine
Description | This research study set out to understand how osteopaths and homeopaths were able to build a personally and financially sustainable career as a health practitioner. Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) retains a small but enduring position in most healthcare systems. Researchers have looked in depth at why patients choose CAM, but much less is known about the practitioners of CAM, such as their aspirations and their experiences. In the absence of the established careers paths that are seen in other healthcare professions (like nursing, midwifery or medicine), the study sought to understand how new graduates managed the transition to practice, built their professional networks and were able to build a successful practice. The research used an innovative multi-method approach using narrative interviews and observations of clinical practice then reflective interviews 12 months later to discuss emerging findings. The main three findings were: 1) The need to acknowledge that there is a transition phase Many graduates assumed that the biggest hurdle was getting their qualification to practice and that once they had it they would be able to build a busy practice. However, they found that in reality, there was a lot more to learn and that it could take many months or years to achieve the idea of a 'successful' practice they had hoped for. The biggest challenge in this phase was to understand that being in practice is also about building a business. Most graduates felt well prepared from their education for the technical and communicative aspects of practice (i.e. what happen in the consultation room), but poorly prepared for the business aspects (i.e. what happens outside the consultation room). 2) There are tensions in professional identity that have an impact on the transition Many CAM practitioners consider their career as vocational and there are tensions around their working conditions. On the one hand, as independent private practitioners in a capitalist society, they are required to be entrepreneurial in their approach and embrace the business side of practice, but many have chosen their career to 'opt out' of conventional employment arrangements so sometimes they experience ambivalence about having to make money as a private practitioner within a capitalist economy. 3) Graduates need to get support and participate in communities of practice Being an independent practitioner can be isolating, so practitioners found that seeking support is vital to building a personally and financially sustainable practice. New graduates who were successful in building their practice found support in a variety of ways. They often got practical and emotional support from friends and family. They got support for developing their knowledge from professional groups - both online and in person - or from discussions with and observation of close working colleagues. Crucially, they received support from just a few 'like-minded' people who enabled them to think critically and reflectively about their practice. Although some described their practice as inherently isolating because of working alone, some described ways in which they were able to participate in communities of practice, both at a local level through multi-therapy clinics or peer mentoring groups, or at a profession-wide level through professional associations and journals. |
Exploitation Route | Academic: This research has collected previously undocumented empirical data on: the reasons that practitioners chose their careers, their expectations, their training experience, their transition to practice and their experiences of being established practitioners. In the field of the sociology of health and illness, the research makes original theoretical links to theories of social networks, and explores the extent to which CAM practitioners are able to develop communities of practice (CoPs). CoPs have been closely linked with questions of the quality and safety of healthcare practice so there is much potential for future work in this area. In the field of the sociology of work and employment, the research makes theoretical links to the concepts and techniques of entrepreneurialism explaining why these are such a source of tension for CAM practitioners. I have also published recommendations about the future of sociological research on CAM (Gale 2014, see publications). In addition to these contributions to sociological research, I've made interdisciplinary connections too and am publishing an international and interdisciplinary book (Gale, McHale 2015, see publications). The primary argument of the book was that the current popular and policy debates are 'stuck' in a polarized and largely asocial discourse, and that an interdisciplinary social science (law, sociology, history, ethics) perspective seeking to introduce nuance and theorize diversity in the field, provides a much more robust interdisciplinary evidence base for policy and practice in the field. Non-academic: This work has been undertaken in collaboration with professional and patient representatives from the CAM community. This has ensured that changes have been made during the lifetime of the project to the curriculum of collaborating educational institutions (homeopathy and osteopathy), to the practice of individual practitioners (in a range of CAM therapies) and at the profession-wide level (in osteopathy). As I indicated I would do in my original application, I have prepared a briefing paper (reporting the research in lay terms and with a 'summary and key findings' section at the beginning) and sent it to key stakeholders. Electronic copies of this briefing paper are to be made available online and circulated more widely. A feedback form has been sent to each stakeholder requesting their views on how useful it is and whether they foresee it changing their policies or practice (as relevant). The findings from this will be reported in the 12 month narrative impact report. |
Sectors | Communities and Social Services/Policy Education Healthcare Other |
Description | The three main non-academic stakeholders that have used the findings are: - Educational providers - I have worked closely with educational providers during the project (the two principals of the participating institutions were part of the project advisory group), and been invited to advise since the completion of the project on ways to make changes to the curriculum of undergraduate courses to reflect the need to prepare students for the business side of practice and for the realities of the transition stage (at a national level to the Homeopathy Course Providers Forum). This has included methods of delivery as well as content. I produced a worksheet, based on the findings of the study, that could be incorporated into undergradute teaching and learning activities, as well as used in mentoring relationships. - Individual practitioners - The dissemination event (funded by the study) was attended by a range of practitioners from CAM professions. They reported (in written feedback) that they found the event to be very useful to stimulate reflection on their own practice, and particularly their aspirations and professional identity. Since the completion of the project, I have also presented at a Regional Research Network (CAMBRA) on the findings from the study, which was attended by a range of practitioners from different conventional and CAM healthcare professions. The presentation was followed up by time to discuss and answer questions. - Profession in general - I have worked particularly with the osteopathy profession to explore the implications of my research for regulation (including the development of advanced practice structures) and professional organisations (through increasing support for new graduates). I was invited to present at a national osteopathy conference (Institute of Osteopathy Convention) about a follow-on project (see Further Funding) focusing specifically on the role of mentoring in supporting new graduates in their transition to practice. |
First Year Of Impact | 2014 |
Sector | Education,Healthcare |
Impact Types | Societal Economic |
Description | Advice to the homeopathic profession on development of research |
Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
Policy Influence Type | Membership of a guideline committee |
Impact | I have met with and advised the Chief Executive of the Homeopathic Research Institute (https://www.hri-research.org/) about developing their research profile and particular with reference to professional development and training (rather than their clinical research which is their current focus). I also supported them by reviewing abstracts for their first two annual international conferences (in Barcelona and Rome). The impact of this has been to raise awareness of the importance of developmental research within the profession as well as summative research on clinical effectiveness. |
Description | Improvement of support from profession for newly qualified osteopaths |
Geographic Reach | National |
Policy Influence Type | Membership of a guideline committee |
Impact | My work has been influencial in the osteopathic profession. It has been cited in a professional journal as one of two key pieces of research that has addressed the issues of osteopaths' challenges in the transition from training to practice. I was then part of a team successful in winning a small grant to develop a mentoring programme for early career osteopaths. I presented on behalf of the team to a national conference of osteopaths (http://www.osteopathy.org/the-io/convention-2015/2014-convention/) about the project. We then launched a consultation survey, which was completed by 215 UK osteopaths. Comments included: 'Exciting and needed development in the profession'; 'There is definitely a need for further support'; as well as some challenging ones that suggested concerns of osteopaths, particularly in relations to concerns about increased 'bureaucracy' and that mentoring should remain 'informal'. In addition, there was concern that the proposed project would only apply to early career osteopaths, as some felt mentoring support was needed throughout the osteopath's career. The results of this, and a literature review, are currently being used to develop a mentoring structure. The impact of this is to better support newly qualified osteopaths (particularly to develop their communication and entrepreneurial skills) in 'real-life' practice, to be able to make a living from their vocation and to improve patient-centred care. |
Description | ESRC Festival of Social Sciences Event (What do social scientists have to say about complementary medicine?) |
Amount | £351 (GBP) |
Organisation | Economic and Social Research Council |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 11/2015 |
End | 11/2015 |
Description | Internal University of Birmingham Funding (Fieldwork costs) |
Amount | £1,000 (GBP) |
Organisation | University of Birmingham |
Sector | Academic/University |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 07/2015 |
End | 10/2015 |
Description | Osteopathic Development Group (Developing Strategy and Infrastructure for Advanced Clinical Practice in Osteopathy) |
Amount | £28,667 (GBP) |
Organisation | Osteopathic Development Group |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 06/2014 |
End | 07/2016 |
Description | Osteopathic Development Group (Developing a Mentoring Scheme for newly qualified osteopaths) |
Amount | £10,900 (GBP) |
Organisation | Osteopathic Development Group |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 09/2014 |
End | 10/2016 |
Description | Research Development Fund (Travel Awards) |
Amount | £2,825 (GBP) |
Organisation | University of Birmingham |
Department | College of Medical and Dental Sciences |
Sector | Academic/University |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 01/2012 |
End | 03/2012 |
Description | Seminar Grant |
Amount | £4,227 (GBP) |
Funding ID | 094097/Z/10/Z |
Organisation | Wellcome Trust |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 04/2011 |
End | 05/2012 |
Description | UNICAMP, Brazil |
Organisation | State University of Campinas |
Country | Brazil |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | I have contributed my time and discussions to this partnership. We have arranged a face-to-face meeting which took place at the International Sociological Association conference in Yokohama, Japan, July 2014, where I presented findings from this study. We have had a number of skype meetings. |
Collaborator Contribution | Two professors - Luis Bahamondes and Nelson Barros - have contributed time and discussions to this partnership and support with the application for a doctoral student to spend a year in the UK with me. |
Impact | - One of Professor Barros and Professor Bahamondes' students has made an application to Science Without Borders, to spend a year with me at the University of Birmingham. This is multi-disciplinary, covering both sociology and clinical medicine (gynaecology). - I am joining Prof Barros (as well as Prof Mike Saks) as co-chair of the International Sociological Association theme on the Sociology of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (part of RC15 - Sociology of Health). - Prof Barros hsa been awarded funding to visit me in the UK in November 2015, and will participate in an ESRC Festival of Social Sciences event (see separate entry). |
Start Year | 2014 |
Description | University of Western Sydney, Australia |
Organisation | Western Sydney University |
Department | National Institute of Complementary Medicine |
Country | Australia |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | I gained funding for and permission to undertake a secondment to the Complementary Medicine Research Centre, at the University of Western Sydney, which hosts the National Institute of Complementary Medicine. While there I was one of two keynote speakers at a conference they organised while I was there on health policy and CAM. |
Collaborator Contribution | They provided desk space at the Centre, and the Centre Director(Professor Alan Bensoussan) offered mentorship during my secondment (weekly meetings and introduction to his networks). |
Impact | During the time I spend in Sydney, I built my networks and identified contributors for a book that I have since edited (Routledge Handbook of Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Legal and Social Science Perspectives, with Jean McHale). |
Start Year | 2012 |
Description | CAMBRA Chair's presentation |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Talk was attended by a mixture of academics (from a range of disciplines), clinicians from both NHS (including CAM practitioners, nurses and GPs) and third sector organisations and patients. The talk sparked questions and discussion afterwards. Two of the participants were actively involved in supporting CAM practitioners within the NHS and reported that the talk would change the way that they thought about providing support for their staff. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
Description | ESRC Festival of Social Sciences Event |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Event is happening in November 2015 |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
Description | Invited Speaker (Complementary and Integrated Medicine Research Group |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Other academic audiences (collaborators, peers etc.) |
Results and Impact | Presentation to the Complementary and Integrated Medicine Research Group at the University of Southampton. Two hour lecture/seminar, entitled 'Making a career in complementary medicine'. This was attended by approximately 20 people (both academics and clinicians) and it sparked much discussion and debate afterwards. Raising awareness of my research and improving my personal profile amongst an interdisciplinary group of researchers and clinicians with simliar interests. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
Description | Invited Talk: Transitions to practice in homeopathy |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Lecture to 3rd and 4th year students at a leading homeopathy college (School of Homeopathy) on the 'transitions' aspect of the project, including main findings from Phase 1. Students expressed interest in the project and asked questions related to their own future careers. The college hosting the talk committed to being further involved in the research. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
Description | MedSoc conference 2013 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Other academic audiences (collaborators, peers etc.) |
Results and Impact | I gave an oral presentation at the Medical Sociology (BSA) conference, York University, 2013 Title: Making a living (or not) as a complementary medicine practitioner: the role of social networks Abstract: In the context of a global financial crisis, pressure to reduce healthcare spending and ideological drives (in many centre right-leaning governments, such as the UK's) to shift responsibility for health from the state to individuals, complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has retained a small but enduring position in the overall health system. Little is known about practitioners of CAM - their professional practices, their financial aspirations, their personal ambitions or how they are coping with this period of 'austerity'. I conducted ethnographic interviews and observations with 20 osteopaths and homeopaths in the UK for a study examining the experiences of mid-career graduates from CAM training courses. The research question was: After graduation, how do homeopaths and osteopaths negotiate building a career that is personally and financially sustainable, and continue to develop their professional knowledge and skills? In this paper, I analyse the data that were related to practitioners' social networks. In the absence of established career structures and in the context of a preponderance of independent working in CAM occupations, I describe the extent to which they are able to build a sense of professional community (including seeking referrals and new clients, continuing to develop their professional knowledge and finding like-minded people for emotional support). I analyse the extent to which CAM practitioners can be seen to be participating in a 'community of practice' (CoP), what the characteristics of that CoP are, how it compares to other health-related occupations and what implications this has for the embodied experiences and identities of the practitioners themselves. Buidling awareness of my research amongst my core peer group (medical sociologists) |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
Description | Presentation to Academic Board of collaborating institution on interim findings |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Participants in your research and patient groups |
Results and Impact | Presentation and Q&A to Academic Board of one of the collaborating educational institutions [anonymized]. Quantitative and qualitative results of the 'recruitment survey' presented; aims/objectives of the reserach discussed, and opportunities for 'impact' on the College curriculum proposed. It raised awareness of the project and some of the key emerging themes in the research. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012 |
Description | Video Abstract |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Other academic audiences (collaborators, peers etc.) |
Results and Impact | Production of a Video Abstract for my article 'Sociology of Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicine'. Encourages people to read the article. People read the article. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7U5NotWndc&feature=em-upload_owner#action=share |
Description | WES conference 2013 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Other academic audiences (collaborators, peers etc.) |
Results and Impact | I gave an oral presentation at the Work, Employment and Society (BSA) conference 2013, Warwick University, UK. Title: Complementary therapy as a calling? Extending the theory of protean careers through the lens of embodied sociology and in the context of medical sub-cultures Abstract: As one part of a multi-method and longitudinal qualitative study on education and careers in complementary therapy (CT), I conducted narrative interviews (Cohen 2006) with osteopaths and homeopaths in the UK. The interviews covered practitioners' expectations of a career in CT; experiences of training; setting up an independent practice; and current experiences of 'making a living' (or not). In this paper, I analyse data from the first and last stages of these narratives. Deciding to train as a CT, like many health/care occupations, is often assumed to be a highly 'protean' (Hall & Moss 1998; Hall 2004) career choice (a 'calling'), perhaps all the more so because CT sits outside the domain of power, status and financial reward that characterizes medicine. Practitioners' accounts do, to a large extent, reflect this protean orientation; however, additional nuance and explanatory power can be drawn in when an embodied sociological approach is grafted onto this classic theory. This, then, provides a useful basis on which to make sense of accounts provided once the 'realities' of a career in a marginalized and often (although not always) financially unrewarding occupation are experienced. 'Protean' values, when underpinned by embodied experiences and habits, occupy an experientially troublesome position in relation to these realities. This value-reality dynamic is mediated by socio-economic context and so to further explore the transferability of the concepts I discuss, the paper concludes with a critical reflection on careers in CT in the context of other body work occupations (Wolkowitz 2006, Twigg et al. 2011). The stream I was involved in now maintains a mailing list to share information and ideas |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
Description | Workhop to validate Phase 1 findings and for input to Phase 2 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Participants in your research and patient groups |
Results and Impact | Workshop with leaders at of one of the collaborating educational institutions [anonymized]. Qualitative phase 1 findings presented and validated; discussion about implications for the curriculum; ideas for phase 2 discussion; potential follow on funding discussed. Member checking of the data, gaining support for the next phase of the research, influencing institutional policies around curriculum |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012 |
Description | Workshop with national organisation representing homeopathic course providers |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | The Homeopathy Course Providers Forum invited me to present at their quarterly meeting and to facilitate a discussion based on the findings from Phase 1 (narrative interviews and the clinical observations) of the research. I talked through the project, my findings and some of the theories I was using to analyse the data. They engaged particularly with issues of career structures and motivations (the theory of kaleidoscope careers in particular), the challenges of transitions and the issues that being in practice was also about being in business. During the faciliated discussion, they explored ways in which they could incorporate some of these insights into the curricula of their respective institutions. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |