Twentieth International Conference on New Directions in the Humanities

Abstract

The introduction of community-based Health Trainers (HTs) in the United Kingdom (UK) has been described as one of the most innovative developments in recent Public Health policy. HTs are tasked with reducing health inequalities in disadvantaged local communities by encouraging clients to develop healthier lifestyles. There is wide variation in the specifics of HTs’ roles, however, and this health occupation is currently under-researched, despite being of considerable sociological research interest in relation to occupational identity construction and ‘identity work’. HTs’ inter-professional interactions with other health professionals are of particular interest. To explore in-depth HTs’ experiences of working in this challenging yet somewhat nebulous role, a qualitative study was undertaken with twenty-five HTs working in England. To theorise the findings, we employ a novel combination of symbolic interactionist perspectives on identity work and boundary work. In this study, we focus particularly on ‘vocabularic’ and ‘associative’ identity work, to explore HTs’ boundary work with other health workers and services. Time emerged as a salient distinguishing feature in this community health role. Understanding the potential health benefits of the long-term, time-intensive support work undertaken by this community health group is of much sociological and also health policy interest.