Marginality, stigma and conversion in the context of medical knowledge, professional practices and occupational interests : a case study of professional homeopathy in nineteenth century Britain and the United States
During the development of medicine in nineteenth century Britain and the United States, the 'regular' profession was faced with severe competition from 'unorthodox' practitioners. Most significant amongst these were the professional homeopaths. They were just as ~ell educated and qualified as the regulars, and so they posed the deepest threat to their continued plausibility as the source of all that was 'Good', 'True' and 'Scientific' in professional medicine. The cognitive anxiety which professional homeopathy raised was further intensified by the fact that recruitment to the ranks of homeopathy was made from the regular profession itself. Many converts to homeopathy were prepared to pay the professional and personal costs of being labelled a 'quack' for the sake of their own integrity and the apparently more effective therapeutic certainties of homeopathy. They were prepared to abandon the systems of regular medicine, be they heroic, sceptical, neovigorous or eclectic, in order to be at peace with their own conscience, and to practice a system of medicine they were now convinced was far more effective than any form of regular therapy. During this period, regular medicine passed through three basic styles
Squires, Roy James
Social and medical history
Marginality, stigma and conversion in the context of medical knowledge, professional practices and occupational interests : a case study of professional homeopathy in nineteenth century Britain and the United States. During the development of medicine in nineteenth century Britain and the United States, the 'regular' profession was faced with severe competition from 'unorthodox' practitioners. Most significant amongst these were the professional homeopaths. They were just as ~ell educated and qualified as the regulars, and so they posed the deepest threat to their continued plausibility as the source of all that was 'Good', 'True' and 'Scientific' in professional medicine. The cognitive anxiety which professional homeopathy raised was further intensified by the fact that recruitment to the ranks of homeopathy was made from the regular profession itself. Many converts to homeopathy were prepared to pay the professional and personal costs of being labelled a 'quack' for the sake of their own integrity and the apparently more effective therapeutic certainties of homeopathy. They were prepared to abandon the systems of regular medicine, be they heroic, sceptical, neovigorous or eclectic, in order to be at peace with their own conscience, and to practice a system of medicine they were now convinced was far more effective than any form of regular therapy. During this period, regular medicine passed through three basic styles
marginality stigma conversion context medical_knowledge professional_practice occupational interest case_study professional britain united_states development medicine britain united_states regular profession face severe competition practitioner significant amongst professional educate qualified regular pose deep threat continue plausibility source good true scientific professional medicine cognitive anxiety professional raise intensified fact recruitment rank make regular profession itself many convert prepared pay professional personal cost label sake integrity apparently effective therapeutic certainty prepared abandon system regular medicine heroic sceptical eclectic order peace conscience practice system medicine convince far effective form regular therapy period regular medicine pass three_basic style