Revija za sociologiju, Vol. 32 No. 3-4, 2001.
Pregledni rad
Specific Position of Physician in Society: Or the Limits of Physician's Activities
Živka Staničić
; Medicinski fakultet Sveučilišta u Splitu, Katedra: Liječnik i bolesnik
Sažetak
The objective of the paper is to examine two contradictory features of a physician's position with regard to his relationship to the patients. A physician seemingly assumes the role of power and authority. This is due to at least two reasons: his power is closely related to the basic level and ultimate needs of every human being and a physician is the only subject who acquired the legitimacy to assess the condition of a human being as ill or healthy.
With regard to the society as a whole, a physician appears as the object of power deeply imbedded in the current political structure. External, established and undeniable facts determine the overall contents, the direction and the reach of a physician's performance. The evidence of this claim lies in the fact that a diagnosis is basically a social construct. It is clearly indicated that a physician does not have a complete scientific-professional autonomy in his work. He/she does not represent the ultimate instance neither with regard to the diagnosis he makes nor in deciding on the most suitable therapy or treatment. The reason for this is the fact that a physician in each society has supra-individual social function that reaches far beyond the social function. Physician allegedly receives the main “impulse and impetus” from the governing political structure, which shape his activities. Recently we have witnesses some instances which prove that the delicate equilibrium between the two contradictory roles/responsibilities of a physician has been disturbed: the fact that he is absolutely “pro-life” oriented, while at the same time
being the “participant sharing the power of supreme authorities with regard to life”.
Ključne riječi
power; physician-subject of power; physician-object of power; twofold responsibility of a physician
Hrčak ID:
154071
URI
Datum izdavanja:
31.12.2001.
Posjeta: 1.407 *