SPEECH AND LANGUAGE THERAPY: GENDER, SCIENCE AND THE HEALTH DIVISION OF LABOUR

This research arose from concerns over the marginal position of speech and language therapists within the UK health care system, at a time when a case based on equal pay legislation comparing their work with that of clinical psychologists nears completion. While quantitative data confirm a difficulty for the NHS in recruiting and retaining speech and language therapists, no qualitative research has explored their work experiences within a sociological framework. The present study aims to address this gap. The empirical findings are based on qualitative interviews with forty speech and language therapists which employed feminist principles in research methodology including open-endedness, disclosure of values and reciprocity. Themes emerging included the 'invisibility ' of the profession in accessing careers advice and gender-stereotyping of subject choices and careers advice at school. In contrast to the humanistic elements which led people into speech and language therapy, the professional education emphasised the scientific aspects of human communication, reflecting a medicalised view of health. Lesser attention was paid t