‘Heroes And Fairy Wrens’: The Changing Face Of Rural General Practice

Abstract

Increasing numbers of women are entering the medical workforce in western industrialised countries. Many are calling for reform in the workplace by demanding more flexible hours to better balance the demands of work and home. This is particularly relevant in rural locations where limited childcare services are available. Ethnographic research in Western Australia with rural general practitioners examines whether greater numbers of female GPs entering medicine, and their demands for more flexibility in working hours, are altering traditional values and work practice in a rural setting.

Key Words:

• Rural medical sociology
• rural GPs
• feminisation of medical workforce
• flexible working hours