What is a Profession?

Some of you were still asking about this: what exactly are the features that (almost) all professional have that allow us to understand their obligations, prerogatives, rights, etc.

THE "BROAD" NOTIONS OF PROFESSION

A. Any paid occupation (the broadest concept)
B. Any occupation that requires some extensive training (in this sense, there are professional athletes, actors, beauticians, etc.)

TRADITIONAL PROFESSIONS (PROFESSIONS IN A "NARROW" SENSE)

A. Medicine (doctors)
B. Law (lawyers)
C. Divinity (clergy)

EMERGING PROFESSIONS

A. Nursing
B. Journalism
C. Public administration
D. Engineering
E. Other emerging professions.

Jane Clapp (Professional Ethics and Insignia, 1974) lists 170 occupations that describe themselves as professional; typical trappings include special insignia, codes of "ethics," associations organized on the professional model, etc.

SOME ACCOUNTS AND DEFINITIONS OF PROFESSIONS

BAYLES ON PROFESSIONS IN A NARROW SENSE

A. Necessary conditions (the conditions an occupation must have to count as a profession in a narrow sense):

• It involves extensive training
• This training includes a significant intellectual component
• The occupation provides an important service to society

B. Common features

• Licensing
• Professional organization
• Extensive autonomy

HUGHES

Professionals are strongly committed to their occupation and to other professionals (they take personal interests in their careers); to profess literarily means to take religious vows.

BARBER

Professionalism is a matter of degree
A. Essential Attributes

• A high degree of generalized and systematic knowledge
• Primary orientation toward community rather than toward self-interest (Similarly, according to Wade, professionals are primarily devoted to providing service and only secondarily to making money (see p. 28; n. 7).
• A high degree of self-control (extensive autonomy)
• A system of rewards that has a symbolic character

MILLERSON

In his book (Qualifying Associations, London: Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1964) Millerson gives a summary of existing accounts of professionalism based on a review of 21 sources (the numbers in brackets indicate how frequently a given characteristic is used in various definitions):

1. A profession involves a skill based on theoretical knowledge. [12]
2. Professional skills require extensive and intensive training and education. [9]
3. The professional must demonstrate competence by passing a test. [8]
4. The profession is organized and it is represented by an association of distinctive character. [13]
5. Integrity is maintained by adherence to a code of conduct. [14]
6. Professional service is altruistic. [8]
7. The professional assumes responsibility for the affairs of others. [5]
8. Professional service is indispensable for the public good. [2]
9. Professionals are licensed, so their work is sanctioned by the community. [2]
10. Professionals are independent practitioners, serving individual clients. [2]
11. They have a fiduciary relationship toward their clients. [2]
12. They do their best to serve their clients impartially without regard to any special relationship. [2]
13. They are compensated by fee or fixed charge. [2]