A profession is a vocation A vocation, from the Latin vocare , is a term for an occupation to which a person is specially drawn or for which they are suited, trained or qualified. Though now often used in secular contexts, the meanings of the term originated in Christianity founded upon specialised educational Education in the largest sense is any act or experience that has a formative effect on the mind, character or physical ability of an individual. In its technical sense, education is the process by which society deliberately transmits its accumulated knowledge, skills and values from one generation to another training, the purpose of which is to supply disinterested counsel and service to others, for a direct and definite compensation, wholly apart from expectation of other business gain.[1]
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History
Jesus and the doctors of the Faith, by the entourage of Giuseppe Ribera Jusepe de Ribera, probably an italianization of Josep de Ribera was a Spanish Tenebrist painter and printmaker, also known as José de Ribera in Spanish and as Giuseppe Ribera in Italian. He was also called by his contemporaries and early writers Lo Spagnoletto, or "the Little Spaniard". Ribera was a leading painter of the Spanish school,Classically, there were only three professions: Divinity, Medicine Medicine is the science and art of healing humans. It includes a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness. Before scientific medicine, healing arts were practiced along with alchemical and ritual practices that developed out of religious and cultural traditions. The term &, and Law.[2] The main milestones which mark an occupation being identified as a profession are:
- It became a full-time occupation;
- The first training school was established;
- The first university A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is a corporation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education. The word university is derived from the Latin universitas magistrorum et scholarium, roughly meaning "community of school was established;
- The first local association A voluntary association or union is a group of individuals who voluntarily enter into an agreement to form a body (or organization) to accomplish a purpose was established;
- The first national association was established;
- The codes of professional ethics were introduced;
- State licensing laws were established.[2]
The ranking of established professions in the United States based on the above milestones shows Surveying Surveying or land surveying is the technique and science of accurately determining the terrestrial or three-dimensional position of points and the distances and angles between them. These points are usually on the surface of the Earth, and they are often used to establish land maps and boundaries for ownership or governmental purposes first (George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Abraham Lincoln were all land surveyors before entering politics), followed by Medicine Medicine is the science and art of healing humans. It includes a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness. Before scientific medicine, healing arts were practiced along with alchemical and ritual practices that developed out of religious and cultural traditions. The term &, actuarial science, Law, Dentistry Dentistry, which is a part of stomatology, is the branch of medicine that is involved in the evaluation, diagnosis, prevention, and surgical or non-surgical treatment of diseases, disorders and conditions of the oral cavity, maxillofacial area and the adjacent and associated structures and their impact on the human body. Dentistry is widely, Civil Engineering Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including works such as bridges, roads, canals, dams and buildings. Civil engineering is the oldest engineering discipline after military engineering, and it was defined to distinguish, Logistics Logistics is the management of the flow of goods, information and other resources in a repair cycle between the point of origin and the point of consumption in order to meet the requirements of customers. Logistics involves the integration of information, transportation, inventory, warehousing, material handling, and packaging, and occasionally, Architecture and Accounting Accountancy is the art of communicating financial information about a business entity to users such as shareholders and managers. The communication is generally in the financial´s form statements that show in money terms the economic resources under the control of management; the art lies in selecting the information that is relevant to the user.[3]
With the rise of technology and occupational specialization in the 19th century, other bodies began to claim professional status: Pharmacy Pharmacy is the health profession that links the health sciences with the chemical sciences and it is charged with ensuring the safe and effective use of pharmaceutical drugs. The word derives from the Greek φάρμακον , "drug, medicine" (the earliest form of the word is the Mycenaean Greek pa-ma-ko, attested in Linear B syllabic, Veterinary Medicine The field of veterinary medicine is a highly competitive yet under employed field of medicine. Today's veterinarians are doctors who are highly educated to protect both the health of animals and humans. The skills of highly qualified veterinarians are in constant demand and job opportunities within this field are endless. In order to be considered, Nursing Nursing is a healthcare [compassionate] profession focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life from birth to death, Teaching Education in the largest sense is any act or experience that has a formative effect on the mind, character or physical ability of an individual. In its technical sense, education is the process by which society deliberately transmits its accumulated knowledge, skills and values from one generation to another, Librarianship A librarian is an information professional trained in library and information science, which is the organization and management of information services or materials for those with information needs. Typically, librarians work in a public or college library, an elementary or secondary school media center, a library within a business or company, or, Optometry Optometry is a health care profession concerned with eyes and related structures, as well as vision, visual systems, and vision information processing in humans and Social Work Social work is a professional and academic discipline committed to the pursuit of social welfare and social change. The field works towards research and practice to improve the quality of life and to the development of the potential of each individual, group and community of a society. Social workers perform interventions through research, policy,, all of which could claim to be professions by 1900 using these milestones.[4]
Just as some professions rise in status and power through various stages, so others may decline. This is characterized by the red cloaks of bishops giving way to the black cloaks of lawyers and then to the white cloaks of doctors.[5] More recently-formalized disciplines, such as architecture, now have equally-long periods of study associated with them.[6]
Although professions enjoy high status and public prestige, not all professionals earn high salaries, and even within specific professions there exist significant inequalities of compensation; for example, a trial lawyer A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person licensed to practice law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political and social authority, and deliver specializing in tort A Tort is the French word for a "wrong." A tort is a civil wrong. A civil wrong involves a breach of a duty owed to someone else, as opposed to criminal wrongdoing which involves a breach of a duty owed to society. Torts are civil wrongs other than breaches of contract and certain equitable wrongs litigation on a contingent-fee A contingent fee or conditional fee (in England and Wales) is any fee for services provided where the fee is only payable if there is a favourable result. In the law is defined as "[a] fee charged for a lawyer's services only if the lawsuit is successful or is favorably settled out of court...Contingent fees are usually calculated as a basis may earn several times what a prosecutor In many jurisdictions in the United States, a district attorney is an elected or appointed government official who represents the government in the prosecution of criminal offenses. The district attorney is the highest officeholder in the jurisdiction's legal department and supervises a staff of assistant (ADA) or deputy district attorneys or public defender A public defender is a lawyer employed by the government to represent those who are charged with a crime and cannot afford an attorney. In some states, public defenders also represent people being involuntarily committed to a mental health facility due to an alleged mental illness. Public defenders are usually paid by the state or the local county earns.
List of professions
- Accountants An accountant is a practitioner of accountancy , which is the measurement, disclosure or provision of assurance about financial information that helps managers, investors, tax authorities and other decision makers make resource allocation decisions
- Actuaries An actuary is a business professional who deals with the financial impact of risk and uncertainty. Actuaries provide expert assessments of financial security systems, with a focus on their complexity, their mathematics, and their mechanisms
- Advocates An advocate is someone who speaks on behalf of another person, especially in a legal context. It is used primarily in reference to the system of Scots law, Anglo-Dutch law, Scandinavian law and Israeli law, and also to refer to the fused legal professions in the Channel Islands and Isle of Man. Implicit in the concept is the notion that the
- Architects An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings, and is licensed to practice architecture. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings,
- Dentists Dentistry, which is a part of stomatology, is the branch of medicine that is involved in the evaluation, diagnosis, prevention, and surgical or non-surgical treatment of diseases, disorders and conditions of the oral cavity, maxillofacial area and the adjacent and associated structures and their impact on the human body. Dentistry is widely
- Engineers An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality, safety and cost. The word engineer is derived from
- Lawyers A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person licensed to practice law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political and social authority, and deliver
- Librarians A librarian is an information professional trained in library and information science, which is the organization and management of information services or materials for those with information needs. Typically, librarians work in a public or college library, an elementary or secondary school media center, a library within a business or company, or
- Nurses A nurse is a healthcare professional who, in collaboration with other members of a health care team, is responsible for: treatment, safety, and recovery of acutely or chronically ill individuals; health promotion and maintenance within families, communities and populations; and, treatment of life-threatening emergencies in a wide range of health
- Pharmacists Pharmacists are health professionals who practice the science of pharmacy. Pharmacists also participate in disease-state management, where they optimize and monitor drug therapy or interpret medical laboratory results – in collaboration with physicians and/or other health professionals. Advances into prescribing medication and in providing
- Physicians A physician—also known as doctor of medicine, medical doctor, or simply doctor—practices the ancient profession of medicine, which is concerned with maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease or injury. This properly requires both a detailed knowledge of the academic disciplines underlying
- Professors A professor is a type of senior teacher; the precise meaning of the word varies by country. Literally, professor is Latin for a "person who professes to be an expert in some art or science, teacher of high rank". In most English-speaking nations professor is the title only of a senior academic who holds a departmental chair , or a
- Teachers In education, a teacher is a person who provides schooling for others. A teacher who facilitates education for an individual student may also be described as a personal tutor. The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out by way of occupation or profession at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person
- Medical Laboratory Scientists A Medical Laboratory Scientist is a healthcare professional who performs chemical, hematological, immunologic, microscopic, and bacteriological diagnostic analyses on body fluids such as blood, urine, sputum, stool, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), peritoneal fluid, pericardial fluid, and synovial fluid, as well as other specimens. Medical Laboratory
- Statisticians A statistician is someone who works with theoretical or applied statistics. The profession exists in both the private and public sectors. The core of that work is to measure, interpret, and describe the world and human activity patterns within it. The field shares much common history with positivist social science, but often with a greater
Formation of a profession
A profession arises when any trade or occupation transforms itself through "the development of formal qualifications based upon education, apprenticeship, and examinations, the emergence of regulatory bodies with powers to admit and discipline members, and some degree of monopoly rights."[9]
Regulation
Main article: Professional body A professional association is a non-profit organization seeking to further a particular profession, the interests of individuals engaged in that profession, and the public interestProfessions are typically regulated by statute This word is used in contradistinction to the common law. Statutes acquire their force from the time of their passage unless otherwise provided. Statutes are of several kinds; namely, Public or private. Declaratory or remedial. Temporary or perpetual. 1. A temporary statute is one which is limited in its duration at the time of its enactment. It, with the responsibilities of enforcement delegated to respective professional bodies A professional association is a non-profit organization seeking to further a particular profession, the interests of individuals engaged in that profession, and the public interest, whose function is to define, promote, oversee, support and regulate the affairs of its members. These bodies are responsible for the licensure of professionals, and may additionally set examinations A test or an examination is an assessment intended to measure a test-taker's knowledge, skill, aptitude, physical fitness, or classification in many other topics (e.g., beliefs). In practice, a test may be administered orally, on paper, on a computer, or in a confined area that requires a test taker to physically perform a set of skills. The basic of competence and enforce adherence to an ethical code An ethical code is adopted by an organization in an attempt to assist those in the organization called upon to make a decision understand the difference between 'right' and 'wrong' and to apply this understanding to their decision. The ethical code therefore generally implies documents at three levels: of practice. However, they all require that the individual hold at least a first professional degree A first professional degree is an academic degree that prepares the holder for a particular profession by emphasizing competency skills along with theory and analysis. These professions are typically licensed or otherwise regulated by a governmental or government-approved body. Areas such as nursing, architecture, forestry, law, medicine, before licensure. There may be several such bodies for one profession in a single country, an example being the accountancy bodies British qualified accountants are full voting members of United Kingdom examining bodies that evaluate individual experience and test competencies for accountants. Qualified accountants fall into two categories: members of Chartered and non-Chartered bodies (ACCA The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants is a British accountancy body which offers the Chartered Certified Accountant (Designatory letters ACCA or FCCA) qualification worldwide. It is one of the world's largest and fastest-growing accountancy bodies with 131,500 members and 362,000 affiliates and students in 170 countries (as at, ICAEW The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales was established by a Royal Charter in 1880. It has over 130,000 members. Over 15,000 of these members live and work outside the UK. The Institute also has some 9,000 students, ICAI Chartered Accountants Ireland Formally ICAI is a professional accountancy body in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, ICAS The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland is the Scottish professional accountancy body for chartered accountants and auditors. It has over 17,000 members. Over 3,000 of these members live and work outside the UK. The Institute also has some 3,000 students. It is predominatly based in Edinburgh with further offices in Glasgow and London, CIPFA, AAPA, CIMA, IFA, CPA) of the United Kingdom, all of which have been given a Royal Charter although not necessarily considered to hold equivalent-level qualifications.
Typically, individuals are required by law to be qualified by a local professional body before they are permitted to practice in that profession. However, in some countries, individuals may not be required by law to be qualified by such a professional body in order to practice, as is the case for accountancy in the United Kingdom (except for auditing and insolvency work which legally require qualification by a professional body). In such cases, qualification by the professional bodies is effectively still considered a prerequisite to practice as most employers and clients stipulate that the individual hold such qualifications before hiring their services.
Autonomy
Professions tend to be autonomous, which means they have a high degree of control of their own affairs: "professionals are autonomous insofar as they can make independent judgments about their work"[10] This usually means "the freedom to exercise their professional judgement."[11]
Professional autonomy which is an essential characteristic of the concept of professional ideology is based on three claims.
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- First, the work of professionals entails such a high degree of skill and knowledge that only the fellow professionals can make accurate assessment of professional performance.
- Second, professionals are characterized by a high degree of selflessness and responsibility, that they can be trusted to work conscientiously.
- Third, in the rare instance in which individual professionals do not perform with sufficient skill or conscientiousness, their colleagues may be trusted to undertake the proper regulatory action.[12]
However, it has other meanings. "Professional autonomy is often described as a claim of professionals that has to serve primarily their own interests...this professional autonomy can only be maintained if members of the profession subject their activities and decisions to a critical evaluation by other members of the profession "[13] The concept of autonomy can therefore be seen to embrace not only judgement, but also self-interest and a continuous process of critical evaluation of ethics and procedures from within the profession itself.
Status and prestige
Professions enjoy a high social status, regard and esteem [14][15] conferred upon them by society. This high esteem arises primarily from the higher social function of their work, which is regarded as vital to society as a whole and thus of having a special and valuable nature. All professions involve technical, specialised and highly skilled work often referred to as "professional expertise." [16] Training for this work involves obtaining degrees and professional qualifications (see Licensure) without which entry to the profession is barred (occupational closure). Training also requires regular updating of skills through continuing education.
Power
All professions have power.[17] This power is used to control its own members, and also its area of expertise and interests. A profession tends to dominate, police and protect its area of expertise and the conduct of its members, and exercises a dominating influence over its entire field which means that professions can act monopolist,[18] rebuffing competition from ancillary trades and occupations, as well as subordinating and controlling lesser but related trades.[19] A profession is characterised by the power and high prestige it has in society as a whole. It is the power, prestige and value that society confers upon a profession that more clearly defines it.
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Fri, 27 Aug 2010 21:02:32 GMT+00:00
' CNN Political Ticker (blog) (CNN) The campaign for Alaska Senate candidate Joe Miller removed a tweet Friday from its Twitter page that suggested "the oldest profession " was ... Social media wrap: Alaska's Joe Miller apologizes to Lisa Murkowski for ... Los Angeles Times (blog) The Tweet Heard Around Alaska Wall Street Journal (blog)
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une grande joie pour tous Nous mettrons l accent sur l aspect solennel de cette fete et nous leur redirons l importance du beau et de l engagement pour vivre sa foi en verite Confirmation
Thu, 01 Oct 2009 01:15:14 PDT
Tim Brown says the design profession is preoccupied with creating nifty, fashionable objects -- even as pressing questions like clean water access ... ted.com.
