ABSTRACT
The purpose of this chapter is to explore issues of power and gender in clinical discourse: specifically between individuals with communication disorders and the speech and hearing clinicians they may encounter. These topics have been somewhat neglected in health care research, which is surprising, given the relatively high numbers of female professionals in areas such as speech-language therapy and audiology. While power in clinical interactions has been explored relatively extensively, it tends to be generally considered in the context of doctor-patient interactions and from the perspective of the doctor. I will therefore incorporate the client’s perspective in this chapter, by exploring some first person accounts of power in health care settings. Similarly, I will examine the interactions of professionals in training. In addition, I will examine speech-language therapy clients’ experiences of power in institutional settings; and how these clients attempt to resist the established roles institutions encourage them to adopt. Finally, I aim to provide the reader with an opportunity to reflect on their interaction styles in practice and what they may unwittingly be communicating to their clients.
