Inès MESDOUA

Ideological and epistemological divisions in contemporary French psychiatry

Thesis supervisor: Jean-Yves DORMAGEN (CEPEL)

This thesis analyzes the ideological and epistemological divisions that currently exist within the psychiatric profession in France. It examines how psychiatrists define care, psychiatric knowledge, and their professional role in a context of institutional change and the restructuring of mental health policies.

The aim is to identify internal divisions within the professional group, between models of care, theoretical references, relationships with evaluation and the institution, and to understand how these divisions structure professional practices, trajectories, and positions.

The study is primarily based on a qualitative approach combining in-depth interviews and ethnographic observations, supplemented by an exploratory quantitative component. It is part of a political sociology of professions perspective that focuses on the relationships between knowledge, power, and institutions.

Keywords: Psychiatry – Professions – Ideological divisions – Epistemology – Mental health – Public policy – Political sociology