Abstract
The feminization of the medical profession has been investigated from several perspectives including the HRM literature, which predominantly concentrates on the struggle women face working in a largely male-dominated sector, women medic’s inability to secure senior positions, the impact of feminization on medical practice , patients’ gendered expectations of women and men doctors, and the working relationships of women doctors and women nurses. Less attention has been paid to women medics’ working relationships, specifically descriptions of their interactions with other women and men working in hospital environments.
This paper investigates women doctors’ accounts of their workplace relationships with both women and men colleagues. Twenty women doctors who trained and/or practice in public hospitals in the Australian state of Victoria, either in physician, surgical, or emergency settings were interviewed to understand how they characterized working with other women and men who are either their peers, juniors, or seniors. This paper is specifically concerned to theorise how participants’ responses about their working relationships within medical environments reflects the embeddedness and acceptance of patriarchy as a structuring force.