Professions and Inequalities

Professions and professionalism often appears to exist above the inequalities of the broader society – entrance dependent upon ’objective’ criteria such as qualifications, training, accreditation by a professional body and so forth. Yet the professions do not exist outside of the societies (national or global) in which they are located and professionalism is heavily imprinted by the inequalities and discriminations that exist in the broader society. These can include discrimination (or even oppression) based on race, gender, ethnicity, class, nationality, citizenship, language, sexualities, religion or an intersection of some or all of these identities. This affects not only who can be a professional and the way professional work is carried out but the very nature of professionalism.

This session hopes to explore these dynamics and examine the way in which they operate to both include and exclude professionals either within or across states (or transnationally). Papers could explore the form these inequalities take, the processes that are used to include or exclude people from a profession, the progress that has been made to reduce these inequalities or current political dynamics that are exacerbating inequality, discrimination and/or oppression. We would also be interested in comparative perspectives that might illuminate these dynamics. Both empirical and theoretical papers are welcomed.