Doing Ethnography In An Urban Hospital Emergency Department Setting: Understanding How Culture Was Related To Emergency Physician Habitus

ETHNOGRAPHY OF THE HABITUS OF THE EMERGENCY PHYSICIANby RENADY HIGHTOWERDECEMBER 2010 Advisor: Dr. Andrea P. SankarMajor: AnthropologyDegree: Doctor of Philosophy This hospital ethnography focused on the relationship between culture andemergency physician habitus. The habitus of these physicians was defined as thoseroutine, patterned forms of behaviors and practices performed by the physicians while inthe emergency department and while interacting with the patient during the interaction.Pierre Bourdieu’s practice theory was used to address how culture was related to thehabitus of the emergency physician. The researcher found that culture was not onlyrelated to the habitus of these physicians, but it reproduced, and at times created, aspectsof the habitus through the practices performed while in the emergency department and while interacting with patients.