Professional unionization: A case study of the Committee of Interns and Residents.
Item
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Title
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Professional unionization: A case study of the Committee of Interns and Residents.
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Identifier
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AAI9020820
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identifier
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9020820
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Creator
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Wolff, Evelyn Susan.
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Contributor
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Adviser: Fred H. Goldner
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Date
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1990
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Sociology, General
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Abstract
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The Committee of Interns and Residents (CIR) is a labor union of housestaff (medical school graduates at their last stage of training). Through a case study analysis of the union, including interviews with a sample of members, as well as with leaders and other pertinent participants, issues regarding the changing role of the professional, the professional-bureaucratic conflict, and professional union as a mechanism for social change were analyzed. The question of whether the union aspires to greater physician autonomy, the betterment of the physician's individual situation, or a return to the community orientation of the professional was explored.;The history of the CIR demonstrates that although self-interest motivated its formation, it was insufficient to legitimate its existence. "Patient care" provided legitimation, but proved a difficult goal to realize within the context of the labor contract.;The heterogeneity of CIR's membership contributed to varying degrees of commitment to CIR's goals and activities. "Segments" based on demographic characteristics such as country of birth, sex, and marital status as well as segments based within the medical profession, including specialty, and year of residency, determined the salient reference groups.;In addition to the composition of the housestaff becoming more diverse, the residency itself had changed in the past forty years. As specialization became the norm, the length and significance of the residency increased. The work itself involved a greater dependence on technology, more tasks regarded as "out-of-title," and a sense that conditions could be improved for both patient and resident, if necessary equipment and staff were available. Thus, CIR focused on "patient care" conditions that they claimed would better the lot of both groups. However, CIR's resolution to enforce these standards through contractual guarantees, ultimately illustrated the limits of the union approach to patient care.;Thus, the CIR, a union of transient, heterogeneous resident physicians, representing trainees in one of the most prestigious professions, focuses attention on the strains within the medical profession and the role of the physician in response to these strains.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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PQT Legacy CUNY.xlsx
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degree
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Ph.D.
