Abstract
Drawing on field theory, this study asks how the head of the medical wards mediate pressures they had in a Chinese hospital. Findings are drawn from 61 semi-structured interviews and 20 weeks of participant observation. We learnt that hybridizing medicine and managerialism empowers the head of the medical wards and gives them more control when ruling the game. We argue that although the existence of plural professions can bring conflicts and tensions to one field, by blending them into one, a hybridized set of knowledge further secures incumbents’ dominance. We emphasize internal tensions that are emerged from inside of the field (e.g., through interactions between field members), revealing stories from a Chinese hospital, advancing the understanding of the field theory from the perspective of senior doctors – how these field’s incumbents, stabilize the field. This study contributes to the ongoing debate by shedding light on how senior doctors rule managerial games in an established Chinese medical field.