Attributes of a Profession Author(S): ERNEST GREENWOOD Source: Social Work, Vol
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Attributes of a Profession Author(s): ERNEST GREENWOOD Source: Social Work, Vol. 2, No. 3 (JULY 1957), pp. 45-55 Published by: Oxford University Press Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/23707630 Accessed: 20-03-2020 18:01 UTC JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at https://about.jstor.org/terms Oxford University Press is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Social Work This content downloaded from 128.163.239.206 on Fri, 20 Mar 2020 18:01:41 UTC All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms by ERNEST GREENWOOD Attributes of a Profession The professions occupy a position of great surgeon, and teacher.4 What common attri importance on the American scene.1 In a butes do these professional occupations pos society such as ours, characterized by mi- sess which distinguish them from the non nute division of labor based upon technical professional ones? After a careful canvass specialization, many important features of of the sociological literature on occupa social organization are dependent upon tions, this writer has been able to distill professional functions. Professional activ- five elements, upon which there appears to ity is coming to play a predominant role be consensus among the students of the in the life patterns of increasing numbers subject, as constituting the distinguishing of individuals of both sexes, occupying attributes of a profession.5 Succinctly put, much of their waking moments, providing all professions seem to possess: (1) systematic life goals, determining behavior, and shap- theory, (2) authority, (3) community sanc ing personality. It is no wonder, therefore, tion, (4) ethical codes, and (5) a culture, that the phenomenon of professionalism The purpose of this article is to describe has become an object of observation by fully these attributes. sociologists.2 The sociological approach to Before launching into our description, a professionalism is one that views a profes- preliminary word of caution is due. With sion as an organized group which is con- respect to each of the above attributes, the stantly interacting with the society that forms its matrix, which performs its social 1 3-Talcott Talcott Parsons. "The "The Professions Professions and andSocial Social functions through a network of formal and Structure," Structure," Social Social Forces,Forces, Vol.Vol. 1717 (May (May 19391, 1939), PP. pp. 457-467. informal relationships, and which creates y „ , „ . , . T„ . , , r . ,. 2 Theodore Caplow, 2 Theodore The Caplow, Sociology The Sociology of Workof Work Its own subculture requiring (Minneapolis: adjustments University (Minneapolis: of Minnesota Press, 1954). University of Minnesota Press, 1954). to it as a prerequisite for career 2 Oswald success.3 Hall, "The Stages 3 ofOswald a Medical Career," Hall, "The Stages of a Medical Career," Within the professional category American Journal of its of Sociology,American Vol. 53 (MarchJournal of Sociology, Vol. 53 (March occupational classification the 1948), United pp. 327-336; States "Types of1948)< Medical Careers,"PP- 327-336; "Types of Medical Careers," „ 1 -, • i j , , American Journal of American Sociology, Journal ofVol. Sociology, 55 (November Vol. 55 (November Census Bureau includes, among 1949), pp. others,243-253; "Sociological the m%Research pp in the 243-253; "Sociolo|kal Research in the following: accountant, architect, Field of artist,Medicine: Progress at- Field and Prospects," of Medicine: Ameri Progress and Prospects," Ameri torney, clergyman, college can professor, Sociological Review, den- Vol. 16 can(October Sociological 1951), Review, Vol. 16 (October 1951), tist, engineer, journalist, judge,pp. 639-644. librarian, PP- 639-644. natural scientist, optometrist, * U. S.pharmacist, Bureau of the Census, 4 1950 U. Census S. Bureau of Pop of the Census, 7950 Census o/Pop ... , F F, , ulation: Classified Index ulation: ofClassified Occupations Index of Occupations and Indus and Indus physician, social scientist, triessocial (Washington, worker, D. C.: Government tries Printing(Washington, Of D. c.: Government Printing Of ____________________ fice, fice,1950). 1950). ERNEST GREENWOOD, Ph.D., is associate s The writer professor acknowledges 5 his The debt towriter his former acknowledges his debt to his former at the School of Social Welfare, University students at the of School Cal- of Social st"<*en,tst Welfare, University at School of Social Welfare University _ , r .4 . • j t a j « *■> of California, of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, who, who, as asmembers members of of his his i jornia. Berkeley. The writer ts indebted to Dr. , . , , . ., . , ' 7 research seminars, assisted research him seminars, in assisted identifying him in identifying and and William A. Kornhauser, Sociology abstracting the sociological Department literature on occupa of abstracting the sociological literature on occupa the university, for his constructive tions. Their conscientious criticisms assistance made during possible tions. Their conscientious assistance made possible the preparation of this the formulation paper. presented the in this paper.formulation presented in this paper. JULY 1957 45 This content downloaded from 128.163.239.206 on Fri, 20 Mar 2020 18:01:41 UTC All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms GREENWOOD: true difference between a professional and SYSTEMATIC BODY OF THEORY7 a nonprofessional occupation is not a quali- R ^ o£ten contended that the chief differ. tative but a quantitative one. Strictly , . , , speaking, these attributes are not the exclu- "nce between a professional and a nonpro sive monopoly of the professions; nonpro- fessional °,CC"^°n hestm the ele™ent of fessional occupations also possess them, but f Peri0^ sklIL. The Perfo™ance of a pro to a lesser degree. As is true of most social fessional se™<* presumably involves a phenomena, the phenomenon of profes- senes °f unusually complicated operations, sionalism cannot be structured in terms of mastery °f which requires lengthy training, clear-cut classes. Rather, we must think of models referred to in this connection the occupations in a society as distributing aj^e t^ie performances of a surgeon, a concert themselves along a continuum.6 At one pianist, or a research physicist. However, end of this continuum are bunched the some nonprofessional occupations actually well-recognized and undisputed professions involve a higher order of skill than many (e.g., physician, attorney, professor, scien- professional ones. For example, tool-and tist); at the opposite end are bunched the d£e rnaking, diamond-cutting, monument least skilled and least attractive occupa- engraving, or cabinet-making involve more tions (e.g., watchman, truckloader, farm intricate operations than school teaching, laborer, scrubwoman, bus boy). The re- nursing, or social work. Therefore, to focus maining occupations, less skilled and less on 'be element of skill per se in describing prestigeful than the former, but more so 'be professions is to miss the kernel of than the latter, are distributed between then- uniqueness. these two poles. The occupations bunched 'bbe crucial distinction is this: the skills at the professional pole of the continuum tbat characterize a profession flow from and possess to a maximum degree the attributes are suPPorte<f by a fund of knowledge that about to be described. As we move away has been organized into an internally con front this pole, the occupations possess these sistepnt system' called a bodl °f theor¿- A attributes to a decreasing degree. Thus, in Pressions underlying body of theory is the less developed professions, social work a s7ustem o£ abs*act ProPosl"ons that de among them, these attributes appear in scribe in &eneral. terms the classes of phe moderate t . degree.. , - of interest.When we Theory reach theserves mid- as an?mena base in comIPnsmSterms the Pressions focus region of the continuum, among; the cien- P , . , , I . ,. .. cal, ? , sales,, c °. andof whichcrafts theoccupations, professional they rationalizes occur . r . .his ... m. .,, still , , lesser, , , .„ deeree; , operations while atin the concrete unskilled situations. .r c r i i Acquisi-n • • , p , ? , . tion of the professional skill requires a prior end of the continuum the occupations pos- Qr simultaifeous mast of thHe theorf un. sess these attributes so minimally that they derl ¡ that skiu preparation for a pro are virtually nonexistent. If the reader fession, therefore, involves considerable pre keeps this concept of the continuum in occupation with systeniatic theory, a feature mind, the presentation will less likely ap- virtually absent in ^ training o£ the non pear as a distortion of reality. professional. And so treatises are written s The ~ ~ I " ~~occupational on legal theory, musical theory, social classification work employed by the U. 8U. S. The Census occupational S.Bureau isCensus precisely classification such a continuum. employedBureau cxleory> byme tneorythe , Ot° is .Uie V arama,f ,precisely , 'ana j SO such a continuum. TheThe categories of categoriesthis classification are: (a) profes- on¡ ofbut no booksthis appear on theclassification