Typescript. / Bibliography: leaves [273]-289. / Photocopy. / Microfilm. / xvi, 289 leaves, bound ill. 29 cm

This thesis examines how women, as agents of change, contest the male-dominated structures at the organisational and practitioner levels of rural medicine in Australia. The premises for this study are that females now outnumber males as medical graduates and general practice trainees, yet women are significantly less likely than men to occupy rural and remote practice positions in Australia. Furthermore, the organisation of medicine remains strongly patriarchal. A feminist qualitative design underpins this empirical study involving: in-depth interviews with seventeen women activists and thirteen rural women general practitioners; grounded theory analysis of transcribed interviews; and interpretation of findings through a feminist poststructural lens. Findings uncover the gendered organisational and practitioner environment through which change is negotiated. At the organisational level, male exclusionary practices – played out through the ‘male as norm’ and the ‘problem is women’ discourses – position women in highly contradictory ways and marginalise their voices. Yet simultaneously, activists are challenging entrenched interests through individual and collective strategies of change which include: initiating gender-awareness projects; claiming legitimacy by using male-centred tactics and women-defined discourses; developing female-friendly initiatives; and mentoring of and building alliances between women. At the practitioner level, results reveal how women’s everyday lives as rural general practitioners are shaped by oppositional tensions. However, beyond the struggle of ‘fitting in’, women are altering rural medicine by (re)shaping meanings and (re)constructing work practices. Furthermore, their narratives suggest that rural spaces are integral to ways women carve out women-defined practice. A key innovation of this thesis is analysis of change at dual levels, both organisational and practitioner. This thesis marks a significant advancement upon the usual themes that attend only to the marginalisation of women and rural areas. It highlights the transformative process through which women (re)create the discursive spaces of rural general practice. / Doctor of Philosophy

It is well documented that rural and remote Australian residents have poorer access to medical services than their counterparts in capital cities. According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare in 1998 there were 75.3 vocationally registered general practitioners per 100,000 population in rural and remote areas, compared with 103.0 per 100,000 in metropolitan areas. In 1998 28.7% of the Australian population lived in rural and remote areas, so a substantial proportion of the Australian population is adversely affected by the unequal distribution of general practitioners. Australian country communities highly regard the services of general practitioners and they continue to demand residential medical services. Demand is driven by need for access to health services, but also by the intimate inter-relationships between the general practice and community sustainability. For example, the general practice contributes to the viability of the local hospital which is often a major employer in the district. Consequently, many country communities strive to keep their general practice by contributing to practice infrastructure, providing governance, raising funds for medical equipment, and actively helping recruitment. / Thesis (PhDHealthSciences)--University of South Australia, 2004.

This thesis examines how women, as agents of change, contest the male-dominated structures at the organisational and practitioner levels of rural medicine in Australia. The premises for this study are that females now outnumber males as medical graduates and general practice trainees, yet women are significantly less likely than men to occupy rural and remote practice positions in Australia. Furthermore, the organisation of medicine remains strongly patriarchal. A feminist qualitative design underpins this empirical study involving: in-depth interviews with seventeen women activists and thirteen rural women general practitioners; grounded theory analysis of transcribed interviews; and interpretation of findings through a feminist poststructural lens. Findings uncover the gendered organisational and practitioner environment through which change is negotiated. At the organisational level, male exclusionary practices – played out through the ‘male as norm’ and the ‘problem is women’ discourses – position women in highly contradictory ways and marginalise their voices. Yet simultaneously, activists are challenging entrenched interests through individual and collective strategies of change which include: initiating gender-awareness projects; claiming legitimacy by using male-centred tactics and women-defined discourses; developing female-friendly initiatives; and mentoring of and building alliances between women. At the practitioner level, results reveal how women’s everyday lives as rural general practitioners are shaped by oppositional tensions. However, beyond the struggle of ‘fitting in’, women are altering rural medicine by (re)shaping meanings and (re)constructing work practices. Furthermore, their narratives suggest that rural spaces are integral to ways women carve out women-defined practice. A key innovation of this thesis is analysis of change at dual levels, both organisational and practitioner. This thesis marks a significant advancement upon the usual themes that attend only to the marginalisation of women and rural areas. It highlights the transformative process through which women (re)create the discursive spaces of rural general practice. / Doctor of Philosophy

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Clinical Nursing, 2002. / Bibliography: leaves 277-285.

Thesis (M.S.P.H.)--University of Michigan, 1933.

Thesis (M.S.P.H.)--University of Michigan, 1933.

Thesis--University of Oklahoma. / Bibliography: leaves 62-64.

Thesis--University of Florida. / Description based on print version record. Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 137-143).

Professional paper (M.S.)--Montana State University--Bozeman, 2005. / Typescript. Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Karen Zulkowski. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 37-40).