It is because of the numerous theoretical and methodological difficulty of such studies that so few have been done on this particular population. For researchers who used qualitative research methods, some practical difficulties, such as access to these individuals, have been as problematical as the theoretical difficulties met in attempts to integrate the concepts of power and social structure to the interactionist theory. Difficulties arising from the choice of public personalities as the target population are examined in a study of the function of psychiatry (Spector and Kitsuse, 1977) and a study of the psychiatric classification of homosexuality as a mental illness (Spector, 1977). Eight references are included. (Author abstract modified)