Physiotherapists and their attempts at social mobility: The case of sports specialization

This work focuses on physiotherapists through their sports-related practices. A semi-structured interview survey of students, workers, and teachers of the profession shows that this practice is linked to the dominated position of physiotherapy within the medical field. The social characteristics of entrants and their relationship to the profession fuel demands for social mobility in a highly hierarchical field. One resource is to invest in positions perceived as less subject to the medical hierarchy. Such is the case with sports physiotherapy. This is made possible by a strong sporting culture among physiotherapists, which legitimizes their work with athletes.