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The Significance of Scientific Capital in UK Medical Education

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Abstract

For decades, debates over medical curriculum reform have centred on the role of science in medical education, but the meaning of ‘science’ in this domain is vague and the persistence of the debate has not been explained. Following Bourdieu, this paper examines struggles over legitimate knowledge and the forms of capital associated with science in contemporary UK medical education. Data are presented from a study of two UK medical schools, one with a traditional, science-oriented curriculum, another with an integrated curriculum. Constructions of legitimate knowledge were explored at both schools through six months participant observation, interviews with faculty members (n=15) and students (n=37) and documentary analysis. Findings show that medical schools compete for both scientific and clinical capital, but ultimately science has greater legitimacy. ‘Science’ is defined in accordance with the structure of the traditional curriculum and has become a symbolic resource – a mark of distinction for both medical schools and medical students – which is equated with clinical competence. The significance of science is circumscribed by the medical education field, yet the struggles for scientific capital there have ramifications beyond medical education itself. It is argued that Bourdieu’s concepts are particularly useful tools for studying the meanings that science takes on outside of the scientific field.

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Acknowledgments

I am grateful to the staff and students at the two medical schools who participated in the study. Thanks to Bryan Turner, Martin Richards and Steve Wainwright for their suggestions and to Daniel Kleinman, Mathieu Albert and two anonymous reviewers for feedback on an earlier draft. Funding for the study on which the paper is based was provided by: Australian Federation of University Women – Queensland; International Federation of University Women; and Cambridge Political Economy Society Trust. The writing of this paper was supported by Wellcome Trust Biomedical Ethics Strategic Award no: 086034.

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  1. Centre for Biomedicine & Society, Department of Sociology & Communications, Brunel University, Kingston Lane, Uxbridge, Middlesex, UB8 3PH, UK

    Caragh Brosnan

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Correspondence to Caragh Brosnan.

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Brosnan, C. The Significance of Scientific Capital in UK Medical Education. Minerva 49, 317–332 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11024-011-9177-z

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