Professions and Metaphors: Understanding Professions in Society

ISBN-13: 9781138944183 / Angielski / Twarda / 2016 / 186 str.

Andreas Liljegren; Mike Saks

Opis

During the last few decades metaphors have increasingly been employed to aid academic understanding of both theory and society in the modern Western world. This growing interest in metaphors has been paralleled by an increased interest in professions as a social group, from university academics to doctors and social workers. Early positivist work saw the significance of creating privileged professional bodies as assurance that they use their expertise in the interests of clients and the broader public. More critical Marxist, Foucauldian and now dominant neo-Weberian analyses of professional bodies, see them as supporters of the capitalist status quo, self-interest groups based on exclusionary social closure in the market place.

There is therefore a strong case for enhancing our understanding of the operation of professions using metaphors. It is timely to evaluate both existing and new metaphors in the analysis of professions and professional fields, which potentially have a great impact on our understanding of professions. This pioneering book seeks to explore the range of key metaphors currently employed to understand professions and to look ahead and propose new ones, providing a unique systematic overview of metaphors in the sociology of professions.

Spis treści

1. Introducing Professions and Metaphors (A. Liljegren and M. Saks)  2. Key Metaphors in the Sociology of Professions: Occupations as Hierarchies and Landscapes (A. Liljegren)  3. The Ecological Metaphor in the Sociology of Occupations and Professions (R. Dingwall)  4. Slaying the Minotaur: Reflections on the Sociology of the Professions (M. Saks)  5. Social Closure: On Metaphors, Professions and a Boa Constrictor (O. Agevall)  6. Regulating the English Health Professions: Zoos, Circuses or Safari Parks? (M. Saks)  7. Boundaries of Social Work or Social Work of Boundaries? (A. Abbott)  8. Gender and Law and the Metaphor of Justice-As-A-Woman: An Evolutionary Socio-Legal Perspective (V. Olgiati)  9. Engineering the Soul: Construction and Sacrifice in the Teaching Profession (L. Jin and M. Cortazzi)  10. Metaphors We Help By: Socio-Cognitive Patterns of Professionals in Social Work (R. Schmitt)  11. Metaphors in Medical Practice: A Jurisdictional Tool (I. Pedersen)