The transforming object of the veterinarian’s clinical gaze

Abstract

Although veterinary profession’s function in society is very important there are relatively a fewscientific studies about veterinary profession or how veterinarians’ experience their work. In the fieldof study of work approaches based in activity theory (AT), has been held during last 15 years as apromising theoretical and practical tool. As such there is no unified definition of activity theory. Oneof the central concepts in AT is the notion of object in understanding and explaining human activity.Idea is that when we understand the object of activity we have found the key to understand activitysystem. Human activity is seen multidimensional system or structure. When applying AT in researchimportant is how the subject interprets and approaches the problem space of her/his activity system. Inthis article I will focus on how municipal veterinarian in mixed practice experiences her/his work,animals and clients. I use activity theoretical notions to interpret the results.The empirical material was collected by means of participant observation and interviews of twoveterinarians – man and woman - in Eastern Finland during the time period June 2006 – October 2007.Observation time was altogether 3.5 working weeks, including approximately 120 – 130 consultationswith clients in consulting rooms and in the farms. The analyses of the notes and interviews were madeby theory driven content analysis. For analytical purposes I formed a typical case of two veterinarianswhose work I observed. I refer to the case by an acronym “the Vet”.The activity of veterinarian is described as a continuum preventive – curative/clinical – euthanasia.My interpretation is that for the veterinarian animals are the object of clinical gaze in the realm ofsocio-economic organisation. By clinical gaze is meant a perceptual model than mere to seeing, moreto functions like speaking, touching and knowing. But in this system the owners of animals form acritical factor. Client’s way to take care of their animals defines whether they are favourite clients ornot for the Vet and does the Vet feel that s/he is in the same boat or not with the client. The Vet feelsthat the owners of production animals understand her/his work better than owners of the pets. May bethe idea of production defines animals as objects more clearly and thus easier to agree about activitiesthan the idea about animal as a companion or friend?Activity theoretical concepts apply well in analysing veterinarian’s work in socio-economic systemwhere animals are used to satisfy human needs. But the notion of animal as object of veterinarian’sclinical gaze seems not to be enough in defining the special nature of veterinary work. In order tounderstand more fully the social dimension of activity of veterinarian, it is important to study howclients’ experience veterinarians and their work.