Professions and Professional relations

After completing the course, the students shall

• have acquired a comprehensive overview of central elements in the growth and development of professions
• be able to contribute to the development of knowledge about and for professions, through theoretical studies and/or interpretations of professional practice
• be able to identify and analyse new challenges of a professional and ethical nature within the professions field, and take part in advanced discussions on such subjects
• be able to situate their own research projects in relation to the professional research knowledge front
• be able to challenge established knowledge and forms of practice
• be able to contribute to the development of knowledge-based professional practice

The thematic focal point in this course will be the changes and characteristics of development within the professions field. Historical and contextual factors which affect professional understanding, practice, and ethics will be emphasised in particular. In order to shed light on changes and compare across individual professions, the course will adopt a broad, research-based approach and include professional-sociological perspectives, philosophical analyses and phenomenological studies of people and relations.

The following themes will be central:

• the profession’s autonomy and the relationship between profession and different management regimes
• professions in between market, state and civil society
• the knowledge basis of the professions, including a discussion of the relationship between theory and practice, and judgement and evidence
• professional ethics and ethical challenges in practice
• different relational and interactional processes connected to professional practice with emphasis on a phenomenologically-oriented understanding of relations, including the interaction with the service receiver
• professional practice and gender