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over professionals within the unit. While this curtails the professional autonomy of the physician, it leads to an unintended consequence which may be functional to health-care delivery: it gives danwei leadership additional legitimacy and power to intervene in medical practice. This contrasts sharply with the practice in the United States, where it is rare for physicians to come forth and offer public or private criticism of their colleagues. The reluctance of American physicians to police their own ranks, according to the authors, does not help to arrest medical malpractice.
What is perhaps most instructive about the book is its research methodology. It is encouraging, and indeed exciting news, to China scholars to learn that at long last it is possible to undertake field research within a state-administered institution in China. When field research is possible, many research topics and plans can be realized. As these work out, China research (doctoral theses, research monographs) will assume a very different outlook. One is aware, however, of a certain tricky problem. Field researchers will, understandably, take a great deal of care and self-restraint not to publish materials that may cause political embarrassment to their informants, friends and hosts, not only to protect these people, but also not to spoil future research opportunities. These ethical and political considerations may either pre-empt certain areas of inquiry or leave the reader a less-than-complete picture of reality. The Chinese Hospital has relatively little to tell us about the 'darker side' of social, political, and economic life at SAH. It is understandable why this is the case.
MING-KWAN LEE
School of Social Work
Hong Kong Polytechnic
342
over professionals within the unit. While this curtails the profes- sional autonomy of the physician, it leads to an unintended conse- quence which may be functional to health-care delivery: it gives danwei leadership additional legitimacy and power to intervene in medical practice. This contrasts sharply with the practice in the United States, where it is rare for physicians to come forth and offer public or private criticism of their colleagues. The reluctance of American physicians to police their own ranks, according to the authors, does not help to arrest medical malpractice.
What is perhaps most instructive about the book is its research methodology. It is encouraging, and indeed exciting news, to China scholars to learn that at long last it is possible to undertake field research within a state-administered institution in China. When field research is possible, many research topics and plans can be realized. As these work out, China research (doctoral the- ses, research monographs) will assume a very different outlook. One is aware, however, of a certain tricky problem. Field research- ers will, understandably, take a great deal of care and self-restraint not to publish materials that may cause political embarrassment to their informants, friends and hosts, not only to protect these people, but also not to spoil future research opportunities. These ethical and political considerations may either pre-empt certain areas of inquiry or leave the reader a less-than-complete picture of reality. The Chinese Hospital has relatively little to tell us about the 'darker side' of social, political, and economic life at SAH. It is understandable why this is the case.
MING-KWAN LEE School of Social Work Hong Kong Polytechnic
i
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