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Theoretical analyses in sociological specialist areas such as health and illness are believed to be led by theorising from mainstream sociological thinking. However, in some cases the reverse is evident, such as in the sociology of professionalism, where considerable debate has focused on the changing position of medicine and doctors, which has been characterised by some scholars as the archetype of professionalism. There have been a multitude of theoretical perspectives informing sociological analysis of this topic, but one of the most influential has been the writings of Eliot Freidson, who has been described (Bosk 2006:637) as "a founding figure in medical sociology'. This chapter will focus on discussion of some of Freidson's key concepts which appeared in his earlier work, such as professional autonomy (Freidson 1970, 1975), and more latterly, re-stratification, and in his more recent writings, where Freidson (2001) argued that professionalism is an ideal type of organisation of work (or what he termed "a third logic'), where the professional acts as a mediator presiding over the interests of the state or corporate agencies and serving the needs of the public and demands of patients. Freidson was not without his critics (Coburn 2006), and the chapter will examine the merits of some of these critiques. It will also draw on empirical evidence mainly from the National Health Service (NHS), in England, to examine if concepts such as professional autonomy and discretion, re-stratification and trust are salient in sociological explanations of the current position of medicine.

DOI: 10.1057/9781137355621_19

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