{"id":{"repo_id":"lancaster","oai_identifier":"oai:eprints.lancs.ac.uk:133485"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/lancaster/oai:eprints.lancs.ac.uk:133485","repository":{"repo_id":"lancaster","name":"Lancaster University","base_url":"https://eprints.lancs.ac.uk/cgi/oai2"},"display":{"title":"Acting in Anaesthesia : Agency, Participation and Legitimation","abstract":"In this thesis I examine the relationship between knowledge and action in anaesthesia. I begin by exploring the potential of Evidence Based Medicine (EBM) to guide anaesthetic practice and what implementing evidence based recommendations involves. This introduces a number of 'other' considerations that affect the course of an anaesthetic. I draw on ethnographic data of anaesthetic practice to explore how these 'other' elements contribute to shaping an anaesthetic trajectory. I consider the role of the patient who, being unconscious, can easily be overlooked. I suggest that it is the union of the patient and anaesthetic machine that affords the patient a form of agency. I then focus on the anaesthetist's work in crafting an account of a clinical situation that both renders the situation intelligible and indicates an appropriate course of action. I explore how accounts are legitimated and propose it is the legitimation of the accounts, more than their construction, which provides a lead for action. I also explore the processes that regulate the participation of Operating Department Practitioners (ODPs) and anaesthetic nurses and its consequences. I argue that their involvement is stratified in line with the professional identity to which they aspire and I consider the effects this has in terms of initiating action. Finally, I examine how the tools and devices may be said to contribute to shaping anaesthetic care. I discuss how the anaesthetist develops an awareness of the form, position and configuration of both humans and devices, and how this body of 'normal appearances' serves as a resource to anticipate and identify impending difficulties. This exploration of 'acting' in anaesthesia has necessitated a reconceptualisation of agency, provoked an examination of what it means to participate, illuminated the importance of legitimation when initiating action, and I propose, it calls for the reconfiguration of professional accountability.","abstract_html":"In this thesis I examine the relationship between knowledge and action in anaesthesia. I begin by exploring the potential of Evidence Based Medicine (EBM) to guide anaesthetic practice and what implementing evidence based recommendations involves. This introduces a number of 'other' considerations that affect the course of an anaesthetic. I draw on ethnographic data of anaesthetic practice to explore how these 'other' elements contribute to shaping an anaesthetic trajectory. I consider the role of the patient who, being unconscious, can easily be overlooked. I suggest that it is the union of the patient and anaesthetic machine that affords the patient a form of agency. I then focus on the anaesthetist's work in crafting an account of a clinical situation that both renders the situation intelligible and indicates an appropriate course of action. I explore how accounts are legitimated and propose it is the legitimation of the accounts, more than their construction, which provides a lead for action. I also explore the processes that regulate the participation of Operating Department Practitioners (ODPs) and anaesthetic nurses and its consequences. I argue that their involvement is stratified in line with the professional identity to which they aspire and I consider the effects this has in terms of initiating action. Finally, I examine how the tools and devices may be said to contribute to shaping anaesthetic care. I discuss how the anaesthetist develops an awareness of the form, position and configuration of both humans and devices, and how this body of 'normal appearances' serves as a resource to anticipate and identify impending difficulties. This exploration of 'acting' in anaesthesia has necessitated a reconceptualisation of agency, provoked an examination of what it means to participate, illuminated the importance of legitimation when initiating action, and I propose, it calls for the reconfiguration of professional accountability.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Goodwin, Dawn Samantha"],"institution":"Lancaster University","degree_name":"Ph.D.","degree_level":"doctoral","degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2005,"date_issued":"2005","date_published":"2005","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:48:52Z","subjects":[],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":null,"outbound_label":null,"outbound_source":null},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Goodwin, Dawn Samantha"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date","label":"Dc Date","values":["2005"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2005"]},{"key":"dc:publisher.commercial","label":"Dc Publisher Commercial","values":["Lancaster University"]},{"key":"dc:publisher.institution","label":"Dc Publisher Institution","values":["Lancaster University"]},{"key":"dc:relation.isreferencedby","label":"Dc Relation Isreferencedby","values":["https://eprints.lancs.ac.uk/id/eprint/133485/"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"dc:type.qualificationlevel","label":"Dc Type Qualificationlevel","values":["doctoral"]},{"key":"dc:type.qualificationname","label":"Dc Type Qualificationname","values":["Ph.D."]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["https://eprints.lancs.ac.uk/id/eprint/133485/1/11003565.pdf"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["In this thesis I examine the relationship between knowledge and action in anaesthesia. I begin by exploring the potential of Evidence Based Medicine (EBM) to guide anaesthetic practice and what implementing evidence based recommendations involves. This introduces a number of 'other' considerations that affect the course of an anaesthetic. I draw on ethnographic data of anaesthetic practice to explore how these 'other' elements contribute to shaping an anaesthetic trajectory. I consider the role of the patient who, being unconscious, can easily be overlooked. I suggest that it is the union of the patient and anaesthetic machine that affords the patient a form of agency. I then focus on the anaesthetist's work in crafting an account of a clinical situation that both renders the situation intelligible and indicates an appropriate course of action. I explore how accounts are legitimated and propose it is the legitimation of the accounts, more than their construction, which provides a lead for action. I also explore the processes that regulate the participation of Operating Department Practitioners (ODPs) and anaesthetic nurses and its consequences. I argue that their involvement is stratified in line with the professional identity to which they aspire and I consider the effects this has in terms of initiating action. Finally, I examine how the tools and devices may be said to contribute to shaping anaesthetic care. I discuss how the anaesthetist develops an awareness of the form, position and configuration of both humans and devices, and how this body of 'normal appearances' serves as a resource to anticipate and identify impending difficulties. This exploration of 'acting' in anaesthesia has necessitated a reconceptualisation of agency, provoked an examination of what it means to participate, illuminated the importance of legitimation when initiating action, and I propose, it calls for the reconfiguration of professional accountability."]},{"key":"dc:format","label":"Dc Format","values":["application/pdf"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Acting in Anaesthesia : Agency, Participation and Legitimation"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:creator":["Goodwin, Dawn Samantha"],"dc:date":["2005"],"dc:date.issued":["2005"],"dc:description.abstract":["In this thesis I examine the relationship between knowledge and action in anaesthesia. I begin by exploring the potential of Evidence Based Medicine (EBM) to guide anaesthetic practice and what implementing evidence based recommendations involves. This introduces a number of 'other' considerations that affect the course of an anaesthetic. I draw on ethnographic data of anaesthetic practice to explore how these 'other' elements contribute to shaping an anaesthetic trajectory. I consider the role of the patient who, being unconscious, can easily be overlooked. I suggest that it is the union of the patient and anaesthetic machine that affords the patient a form of agency. I then focus on the anaesthetist's work in crafting an account of a clinical situation that both renders the situation intelligible and indicates an appropriate course of action. I explore how accounts are legitimated and propose it is the legitimation of the accounts, more than their construction, which provides a lead for action. I also explore the processes that regulate the participation of Operating Department Practitioners (ODPs) and anaesthetic nurses and its consequences. I argue that their involvement is stratified in line with the professional identity to which they aspire and I consider the effects this has in terms of initiating action. Finally, I examine how the tools and devices may be said to contribute to shaping anaesthetic care. I discuss how the anaesthetist develops an awareness of the form, position and configuration of both humans and devices, and how this body of 'normal appearances' serves as a resource to anticipate and identify impending difficulties. This exploration of 'acting' in anaesthesia has necessitated a reconceptualisation of agency, provoked an examination of what it means to participate, illuminated the importance of legitimation when initiating action, and I propose, it calls for the reconfiguration of professional accountability."],"dc:format":["application/pdf"],"dc:identifier.uri":["https://eprints.lancs.ac.uk/id/eprint/133485/1/11003565.pdf"],"dc:publisher.commercial":["Lancaster University"],"dc:publisher.institution":["Lancaster University"],"dc:relation.isreferencedby":["https://eprints.lancs.ac.uk/id/eprint/133485/"],"dc:title":["Acting in Anaesthesia : Agency, Participation and Legitimation"],"dc:type":["Thesis"],"dc:type.qualificationlevel":["doctoral"],"dc:type.qualificationname":["Ph.D."]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:48:52Z"}