Revisiting the concept of a profession
Research in Ethical Issues in Organisations 13:1-18 (2015)
Abstract
In this article we revisit the concept of a profession. Definitions of
the concept are readily encountered in the literature on professions and
we have collected a sample of such definitions. From this sample we
distil frequently occurring elements and ask whether a synthesis of these
elements adequately explains the concept. We find that bringing
the most frequently occurring elements together does not adequately
address the reason that society differentiates professions
from other occupations or activities -- why there is a concept of ‘profession’ at all. We suggest an alternative approach that attempts to make sense of the concept at a more general level. This more philosophical approach employs analytical tools from Julius Kovesi, Patricia Hanna and Bernard Harrison to address the question of what is the point of the concept.
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2015-08-12
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2015-08-12
Total views
2,628 ( #1,392 of 69,125 )
Recent downloads (6 months)
334 ( #1,313 of 69,125 )
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