ABSTRACT
The concept of ‘profession’ was largely taken for granted in sociology until the 1960s. Sociologists were concerned with defining what a profession was – what occupational groups could claim professional status – rather than with analyzing the role of professionals in society. Subsequently, considerable debate has developed about professions’ role and status, and attention has shifted from attempting to define ‘profession’ to analyzing professionalizing strategies – the steps taken by occupational groups aspiring to be recognized as professions. The idea of a ‘profession’ emerged from the mediaeval university, but until the eighteenth century ‘profession’ and ‘occupation’ were not separate terms. Functionalist accounts of the professions emphasized the functions they played for society and for their own members. Key elements in any claim to professional status seem to be autonomy or control over work, a clearly defined monopoly over an area of work and a knowledge base.
