Dr Michał Lesiak, a graduate of the Faculty of Economics and Sociology of the University of Łódź (UŁ), received the Aleksander Matejko Award, granted by the Polish Sociological Society (PTS) for the best doctoral dissertation.

Dr Michał Lesiak is the author of the work “Dirty work in medical professions. Analysis of the contexts of interaction between patients and medical staff”. Its promoter was Prof. Krzysztof Konecki, and the auxiliary supervisor – Dr Łukasz Marciniak.

In the justification, the jury run by Prof. Jolanta Kulpińska emphasized the correct and substantively justified use of qualitative research methods and grounded theory methodology for the analysis of empirical materials (obtained as a result of innovative and highly committed field research using interviews, provided with photographs and participants observation). In addition, the researcher’s attention was paid to the development of the concept of dirty work and showing its functioning in the medical environment from the perspective of not only real but also symbolic (interactive, social, moral) dirt.