Inès MESDOUA

Ideological and Epistemological Divisions in Contemporary French Psychiatry

Thesis Advisor: Jean-Yves DORMAGEN (CEPEL)

This dissertation analyzes the ideological and epistemological divides that currently run through the psychiatric profession in France. It examines how psychiatrists define care, psychiatric knowledge, and their professional role in the context of institutional changes and the restructuring of mental health policies.

The goal is to identify the internal divisions within the professional group—between models of care, theoretical frameworks, and attitudes toward evaluation and the institution—and to understand how these divisions shape professional practices, career paths, and professional stances.

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

Keywords: Psychiatry – Professions – Ideological Divisions – Epistemology – Mental Health – Public Policy – Political Sociology