What is it about?
Farming - sheep, cattle and dairying - are mainstays of New Zealand's agricultural economy. from 1930's to later 20th C a national system of farmer-controlled veterinary clubs evolved to service the needs of this agricultural sector.
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Why is it important?
First importance is in terms of the rural economy of New Zealand, and animal health. Second, in sociological terms the context to control supply and delivery of veterinary care to rural animals was contested between veterinarians and farmers - who shoudl control things - who should have the most "say". A occupational heteronomy existed, eventually coming down in favour of the veterinarians as a rising professionalising group.
Perspectives
This project rose out of discarding the old mid-century north American functionalist perspectives. The new power approach in the sociology of professions was much more illuminating in explaining the mechanisms of occupational and industry change over some decades.
Dr Edgar A Burns
La Trobe University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: “Difficult Times . . . between Veterinarians and Farmers”: Occupational Control in the New Zealand Veterinary Club System, 1930s-1960s, Journal of Historical Sociology, January 2008, Wiley,
DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-6443.2007.00324.x.
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