EN PT


0271/2015 - The construction of Sexology as a profession in Portugal: professional group composition and types of sexologists
A construção da sexologia como profissão em Portugal: composição de um grupo profissional e tipos de sexólogos

Author:

• Violeta Alarcão - Alarcão, Violeta - Faculty of Medicine of Lisbon, Institute of Preventive Medicine and Public Health - <violeta.alarcao@gmail.com>

Co-author(s):

• Fernando Luís Machado - Machado, Fernando Luís - University Institute of Lisbon (CIES-IUL), Department of Sociologia of ISCTE - <fernando.machado@iscte.pt>
• Alain Giami - Giami, Alain - Institut de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, INSERM - <alain.giami@inserm.fr>

Thematic Area:

Ciências Sociais

Abstract:

This study aims to discuss the emergence of the profession of sexologist in Portugal, comparing its development with international trends. This research also seeks to understand the self-identifications of sexologists and the meanings they assigned to them. The empirical information presented derives from a survey conducted with 91 Portuguese sexologists identified through the leading professional associations and from 44 in-depth interviews with experts purposefully recruited to guarantee the diversity of Portuguese sexologists. The results of the survey indicate that the Portuguese sexologist is in average 43 years old, is mainly female, a non-medical doctor, and has training in Sexology. Considering the qualifications of the interviewees, their professional pathways and the activities they develop in the field, and the discourses related to their ideals of the profession, we have reached a typology with five types: sexologists by vocation, sexologist by clinical practice, sexologists by certification, sexologists-social scientists, and sexologists by mediatization. The survey identified an interesting diversity of practices and professional conceptions in the field of Sexology in Portugal. Be sexologist seems more connected to the ideals of the profession than the time devoted to the same.

Keywords:

sexology sexologist professions Portugal

Content:

Access Issue in Scielo

Other languages:







How to

Cite

Alarcão, Violeta, Machado, Fernando Luís, Giami, Alain. The construction of Sexology as a profession in Portugal: professional group composition and types of sexologists. Cien Saude Colet [periódico na internet] (2015/Sep). [Citado em 22/01/2025]. Está disponível em: http://cienciaesaudecoletiva.com.br/en/articles/the-construction-of-sexology-as-a-profession-in-portugal-professional-group-composition-and-types-of-sexologists/15344?id=15344&id=15344



Execution



Sponsors