Part 2: A Pilot Ethnomethodological Study

Abstract

This second paper reports on a small ethnographic study of Argentine psychiatrists. A carefully selected group of six psychiatrists currently practicing in Buenos Aires par- ticipated in an in-depth semi-structured interview. The transcripts of the interviews were coded and a thematic analysis method was applied to construct a local theory of the professional values constructed by Argentine psy- chiatrists, and the circumstances in which such values were constructed. Our analysis indicated that Argentine psychia- trists constructed a number of values, frequently perceived as obligations to their professional group and the needs of their patients. The two main strategies employed by Ar- gentine psychiatrists were the diagnostic act and advocacy. We also identify that these values emerge in the context of recent broad historical and cultural influences upon the profession of psychiatry in Argentina, and the Argentine population in general.