Between professional ambivalence and multidisciplinary harmony

• This study is part of a larger research project that explore the evolution of sexology profession in Sweden, and additionally compare some of these trends with other European sexologists. More specific, this study aims to get in-depth knowledge of Swedish sexologist’s own descriptions of themselves and their profession. Data was collected through qualitative research interviews with 34 professionally active sexologists and members of The Swedish Association for Sexology, [SFS], 26 women and 8 men, aged 34–88 years. Results show that the informants can be divided into medical and therapeutical sexologists, all of whom identify strongly with their primary profession prior to becoming sexologists. Physician as sexologist has given way to healthcare professionals such as social workers and nurses, whereby sexology has been transformed into a female-dominated field in Sweden as well as in other European countries. This paradigm shift has has created tensions between different approaches. Based on varying skills and educational backgrounds, different groups of sexologists have emerged: pioneers, competence sexologists, entrepreneurs, research sexologists and the non-professionals. Competition is not experienced toward others within the interdisciplinary realm of sexology, but rather between those who have professional authority and those non-professionals who strive for legitimacy in the field.

Nyckelord

Profession

sexologist

Sweden

Publikations- och innehållstyp

ref (ämneskategori)

kon (ämneskategori)