Presentation Title
Exploring the Veterinarian-Client Relationship and the Role of Gender
Panel Name
Inequality in the U.S. Today: Seeking Justice, Equality, Treatment, and Redemption
Location
Lecture Center 5
Start Date
3-5-2019 3:15 PM
End Date
3-5-2019 4:45 PM
Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Academic Major
Sociology
Abstract
Veterinary medicine is one of the least understood professions from the perspective of the general public. While much exploration has been recorded in human medicine, the veterinarian-client relationship has been studied significantly less. Veterinary medicine lies at the intersection of the medical and service industries since the cost of veterinary care is not mediated by a third-party insurance system. While the veterinarian’s true job is to treat the animal, it is the human client who pays the bill. Pets are property of their human owners by law making the choice of treatment ultimately the owner’s decision, regardless of the veterinarian’s professional advice. This triadic relationship reduces veterinary medical care to a negotiation between client and veterinarian, often based on several mitigating factors including the cost of treatment and prognosis. How does this negotiation differ if the veterinarian is a woman or a man? Since the 1980s veterinary medicine has rapidly feminized despite retaining its masculine mien. While there are now more women in veterinary medicine than ever, sexism continues to bleed into salary negotiations and client expectations. As not only a medical industry, but also a service-based industry, do negotiations in exam rooms differ because of the veterinarian’s gender?
Select Where This Work Originated From
Senior Thesis/Project
First Faculty Advisor
Angie Chung
First Advisor Email
aychung@albany.edu
First Advisor Department
Sociology
Exploring the Veterinarian-Client Relationship and the Role of Gender
Lecture Center 5
Veterinary medicine is one of the least understood professions from the perspective of the general public. While much exploration has been recorded in human medicine, the veterinarian-client relationship has been studied significantly less. Veterinary medicine lies at the intersection of the medical and service industries since the cost of veterinary care is not mediated by a third-party insurance system. While the veterinarian’s true job is to treat the animal, it is the human client who pays the bill. Pets are property of their human owners by law making the choice of treatment ultimately the owner’s decision, regardless of the veterinarian’s professional advice. This triadic relationship reduces veterinary medical care to a negotiation between client and veterinarian, often based on several mitigating factors including the cost of treatment and prognosis. How does this negotiation differ if the veterinarian is a woman or a man? Since the 1980s veterinary medicine has rapidly feminized despite retaining its masculine mien. While there are now more women in veterinary medicine than ever, sexism continues to bleed into salary negotiations and client expectations. As not only a medical industry, but also a service-based industry, do negotiations in exam rooms differ because of the veterinarian’s gender?