Professions, Science and the State

Förord 9

              1 Introduction: A world of science, experts and professions 11

Definition of professions (1) 19

             2 A historical sketch of the dialectic between professions, state

and society in Sweden  25

1. The nation-state and the professional civil servant  32

2. The aesthetic state and the artistic professions  44

3. The industrial state and the technological professions  51

4. The welfare state and the human service professions  57

5. The neo-liberal state and the market professions  63

6. The globalising state and the international professions 65

Concluding remarks  67

             3 The beginning of theories of professions: naive and

cynical perspectives  71

The beginnings of studies of professions 73

Naivism 76

Professionals and power, version 1 82

Cynicism  85

Profession and ideology  89

Professionals and power, version 2  97

Naivism vs. cynicism  97

Marxism 101

Professions as fields  103

             4 Modern studies of the professions and the issue of definition:

the return of the list or attributes approach 107

New list or attribute approach 109

Problems and critical points of view 113

The knowledge attribute 118

The specificity of professional knowledge 119

Summary 121

             5 Philosophy of science interlude: causal realism, mechanisms

and structures 123

Realism 124

The ultimate aim of science 131

Mechanisms 134

Structures 138

Knowledge types  140

Consequences 142

              6 The third entity: Ontological models as linchpins of science 147

Characteristics and functions of ontological models 149

Illustrations of the functions of ontological models 153

Ontological models in the social sciences 159

Categorisation, description and explanation 171

Relationships between models and mechanisms  175

             7 Science and profession: integrating knowing why with

knowing how 179

Professional characteristics  179

Mechanisms and interventions 181

From paradigm to profession: integration of theory with practice  184

From politics to profession: semiprofessions and the lack

of shared ontological models 196

              8 The knowledge bases of semiprofessions and the relationship between theory and practice 201

The knowledge base of the semiprofessions 201

Practice and theory in social work 205

Explanatory models 206

Treatment models 207

On the concepts of theory and practice 220

What do the professionals themselves say? 225

Definition of profession (2) 231

             9 Professional structures and the constitution of

professional objects 237

The professional triangle, or professions embedded in structures 238

The constitution of the objects of professions  242

Explanation of mental disorders: neuropsychiatry 244

Definition of profession (3) 247

Pre-scientific psychiatry 248

Conclusions 250

              10 The social conditions and characteristics of professions  251

Methodological aspects 251

The macro level: social formations and professional types 256

The meso level: social fields and generations 267

A typology of professional fields of competence 272

Fields of competence 273

Generations 275

Micro level: The habitus of the professional and relationships

with clients 281

Professions as ‘regimes of truth’ 294

Summary 295

              11 Summary and conclusions 297

References 303

Endnotes 315

Index 323