Power within a Profession

Abstract

The intrusion of a new group into the power relationships within an occupation shifts the bases upon which segments of an occupational group may build their influence. In the case of doctors in Ontario, the advent of a universal health insurance scheme has brought with it greater control on the part of government over the relationships between doctors and patients. Using Johnson's typology of professional-client relationships, this paper examines the structural supports for increasing power of doctors who teach and research in comparison to community practitioners in Ontario. The implications of such a shift for some aspects of health delivery are examined, as examples of a more general pattern of behavior occurring with greater government control over professional practice.