IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v13y2021i18p10003-d630362.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Process Leading to Physician Activism for Sustainable Change

Author

Listed:
  • Efraïm Hart

    (Department of Medical Education, OLVG Hospital, 1091 AC Amsterdam, The Netherlands)

  • Giliam Kuijpers

    (Training Institute and Social Enterprise MedGezel, 1381 XZ Weesp, The Netherlands)

  • Glenn Laverack

    (Department of Sociology and Social Research, University of Trento, 38122 Trento, Italy)

  • Fedde Scheele

    (Department of Medical Education, OLVG Hospital, 1091 AC Amsterdam, The Netherlands
    Athena Institute for Transdisciplinary Research, VU University Amsterdam, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
    Institute for Education and Training, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Location VUmc, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands)

Abstract

Health systems all over the world are in a process of transition and may even need a paradigm shift for sustainable development. This is where activism may play a role. This study focused on why some physicians become activists and how these physicians have either achieved successes or failed to do so. This study is inspired by grounded theory. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted to evaluate the experiences of seven purposefully sampled physician-activists from the Netherlands. Our research suggests that activism originates from an awareness of problems in the area of health inequalities, resulting in moral discomfort combined with a strong drive to speak up against perceived failings, even when personal risks may be involved. Activists that were most successful in achieving political and health changes meandered effectively along the borders of the system, taking care to preserve ties with supporters within that system and, at the same time, taking a relatively isolated position while using strategies to oppose the system. Diverging too much from the system resulted in measures taken by the system to silence them. Successful activism may be regarded as a social and professional skill that may be learned.

Suggested Citation

  • Efraïm Hart & Giliam Kuijpers & Glenn Laverack & Fedde Scheele, 2021. "The Process Leading to Physician Activism for Sustainable Change," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(18), pages 1-14, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:18:p:10003-:d:630362
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/18/10003/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/18/10003/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Wright, J., 2013. ""Only your calamity": The beginnings of activism by and for people with AIDS," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 103(10), pages 1788-1798.
    2. Merlijn C P van de Riet & Mathilde A Berghout & Martina Buljac-Samardžić & Job van Exel & Carina G J M Hilders, 2019. "What makes an ideal hospital-based medical leader? Three views of healthcare professionals and managers: A case study," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(6), pages 1-18, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Isabel Marques & Zélia Serrasqueiro & Fernanda Nogueira, 2021. "Managers’ Competences in Private Hospitals for Investment Decisions during the COVID-19 Pandemic," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-14, February.
    2. Ana Dias & Annibal Scavarda & Augusto Reis & Haydee Silveira & Nelson Francisco Favilla Ebecken, 2020. "Managerial Strategies for Long-Term Care Organization Professionals: COVID-19 Pandemic Impacts," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(22), pages 1-19, November.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:18:p:10003-:d:630362. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.