title: [Habitus, capital and fields: the search for an acting head of the Hamburg Asylum Friedrichsberg in 1897].
abstract: In 1897 Hamburg was in search of an Oberarzt for the asylum Friedrichsberg who should function as the acting head of the head Wilhelm Reye (1833-1912). This search was part of the intended reformation of the outmoded psychiatric care in Hamburg. During this application procedure the Hamburg Physikus John Wahncau examined all possible candidates and applicants. The article explores the election process by using some sociological categories developed by Pierre Bourdieu (habitus, capital, field). The author argues that not only meritocratic attributes led to the choice of one candidate, but also his functional "fitting" into the field in Hamburg.
authors.affiliation: Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg. sammet@uke.uni-hamburg.de
authors.forename: Kai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sammet
mesh_terms: D005858:Germany; D049672:History, 19th Century; D006740:Hospital Administrators / Q000266:history*; D006778:Hospitals, Psychiatric / Q000266:history*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010560:Personnel Selection / Q000266:history*; D008486:Physician Executives / Q000266:history*; D010819:Physician's Role / Q000266:history*; D012931:Social Environment; D013038:Specialization / Q000266:history*