ABSTRACT
The aim of this paper is to raise certain questions about the study of interprofessional relationships in work locales shared by 'rival' professions. The perspective used in the study will first be examined and certain points made about the occupations of psychiatry, clinical psychology and social work. The ideologies discerned among the members of these occupations are then considered. This provides a context in which to place the substantive material of the paper, namely the nature of the autonomy enjoyed by social workers and clinical psychologists. Finally, the analysis raises various questions about the nature of the social structure of interprofessional relations, and the role of ideology in the study of these relations.
