Eliot Freidson (1923 – December 14, 2005) was a sociologist and medical sociologist who worked on the theory of

profession A profession is a field of Work (human activity), work that has been successfully professionalized. It can be defined as a disciplined group of individuals, professionals, who adhere to ethical standards and who hold themselves out as, and are ...

s. Charles Bosk says that Freidson was a founding figure in medical sociology who played a major role in the growth and legitimization of the subject. The American Sociological Society awards the Eliot Freidson Outstanding Publication Award for medical sociology every two years. Freidson was born in Boston, received a doctorate in sociology from

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, or UChi) is a Private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its main campus is in the Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood on Chicago's South Side, Chic ...

, and was a professor at

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private university, private research university in New York City, New York, United States. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded in 1832 by Albert Gallatin as a Nondenominational ...

. He served in the US army in the 1940s. Many of Freidsons original ideas on medicine were influenced by those of Everett Hughes, which Freidson took and turned into a consistent theory. Freidson's 1961 paper, ''Patients view of Medical Practice'' explores how patients and physicians have different conceptions of illness and how these conceptions create conflict between patients and doctors and critiques

Talcott Parsons Talcott Parsons (December 13, 1902 – May 8, 1979) was an American sociologist of the classical tradition, best known for his social action theory and structural functionalism. Parsons is considered one of the most influential figures in soci ...

' concept of the

sick role Sick role is a term used in medical sociology regarding sickness and the rights and obligations of the affected. It is a concept created by American sociologist Talcott Parsons Talcott Parsons (December 13, 1902 – May 8, 1979) was an Ameri ...

. Freidson saw the doctor–patient relationship as a conflict or clash of perspectives. Calnan distinguishes this viewpoint from

which focused more on the properties of expertise, ethics, and alturism of the profession. Freidson developed the professional dominance perspective. Freidson argued that medicine had achieved

autonomy In developmental psychology and moral, political, and bioethical philosophy, autonomy is the capacity to make an informed, uncoerced decision. Autonomous organizations or institutions are independent or self-governing. Autonomy can also be ...

from other professions, noting that within the healthcare field the division of labor with other professions is determined by medicine itself. Freidson argues that this autonomy can lead to a false sense of objectivity and certainty within the medical profession.

Publications

Papers

* ''Patients view of Medical Practice'', 1961 * ''Professionalism and the Organization of Middle-Class Labour in Postindustrial Society'', 1973 * ''Professions and the Occupational Principle'', 1973 *

Books

* ''

Profession of Medicine Profession of Medicine: A Study of the Sociology of Applied knowledge is a book by medical sociologist Eliot Freidson published in 1970. It received the Sorokin Award from the American Sociological Association for most outstanding contribution ...

: A Study of the Sociology of Applied Knowledge'', 1970 * ''Doctoring Together: A Study of Professional Control'', 1975 * Professionalism: The Third Logic, 2001 * Professional Dominance: The Social Structure of Medical Care, 2006 Profession of medicine won the Sorokin Award from the

American Sociological Association The American Sociological Association (ASA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the discipline and profession of sociology. Founded in December 1905 as the American Sociological Society at Johns Hopkins University by a group of fi ...

for most outstanding contribution to scholarship. Peter Conrad argues that the book was the first book to apply sociological analysis to the profession and institution of medicine itself and contains many concepts that have affected understanding of medicine including professional dominance, functional autonomy, clinical mentality, self-regulation, the social construction of illness.

References

Medical sociologists University of Chicago alumni New York University faculty 1923 births 2005 deaths Members of the National Academy of Medicine {{US-sociologist-stub