Sociological work without the work
Ambiguities in the teaching of qualitative methods to general practice students
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14428/emulations.039-40.11Keywords:
general medicine, sociology, qualitative methods, interdisciplinarity, academization, teachingAbstract
Along with the academic autonomization of general medicine in the 2000s, a field of research aspiring to independence has developed. That research field draws on social science methods to stand out from mainstream medical research. This article examines the social conditions of qualitative methods training for residents preparing their medical thesis. It explores the specific ways in which these methods are utilized in a curriculum that remains geared towards medical practice, and the conditions of teaching social science methods to students who are not meant to become social scientists. These are informed by the respective characteristics of trainers with a social science background and lecturers in general practice, the constraints (in terms of time and academic positions) faced by these actors, and the role ascribed to methods, which have a legitimizing function but are separated from their theoretical foundations.