RN19 - Sociology of Professions

RN19 cfp for ESA Manchester 2019 Conference "Europe and Beyond": Too protected? Boundaries, Barriers and Belonging in the Sociology of Professions 

August 20-23, 2019, Manchester Metropolitan University and The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK

Coordinators: Christiane Schnell, Goethe-University Frankfurt, Germany, ch.schnell[at]em.unifrankfurt.de; Helena Hirvonen, University of Eastern Finland and University of Jyväskylä, Finland, helena.m.hirvonen[at]uef.fi

Too protected? Boundaries, Barriers and Belonging in the Sociology of Professions  

Professions are historically related to (national) welfare states, sheltering professional groups and  services from market forces. From a sociological point of view the barriers and boundary work  around professions have been and are considered as ambivalent. On the one hand, true or pure  professionalism is understood as specialized expertise work which needs autonomy and space to  manoeuvre independent from or beyond political or economic constraints. On the other hand,  exclusivity may have protected professions against enhancing diversity, innovation and  modernisation in general. 

After fundamental structural changes in the name of new public management, professions are  confronted with competitive market conditions on different levels while also actively expanding their  domain beyond national welfare states. At the ESA 2019 conference we would like to strengthen the  sociological understanding of these developments, in the light of the broader conceptualization and  theorization of contemporary professionalism. The following questions will guide the discussion: 

• How does professionalism legitimize and set distinctions under new conditions of work?
• To what extent does social closure still define professionalism?
• What kinds of persistent or novel forms of inequality – in particular related to gender differences – exist within professions and professional projects? 
• How do technologies, especially digital technologies, affect protected professional fields?
• How is professional knowledge – and our idea of professional knowledge – changing?
• How are professional ethics construed in professional communities?
• How are professional identities constituted or maybe even blurred under contemporary conditions of work?
• Which new forms of professionalism arise, in teams, networks and collaborative arrangements?

We invite papers, both empirical and theoretical, on established and emerging professions, and concerning these or other related aspects and questions.

Abstract submission is open until Feb. 1, 2019. Submit your abstract through ConfTool website.

Links: 

• ConfTool 2019: https://www.conftool.pro/esa2019/
• Direct link to: Conference web site
• ESA website: https://www.europeansociology.org/

ESA RN19 on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ESARN19/

..............................................................................................................

RN19 Summer School for PhD students and Early career researchers

University of Aveiro, Portugal, May 16-18 2018

Please, share the cfp! Deadline for abstracts: March 25, 2018.

In the first ESA RN19 – Sociology of Professions PhD summer school the emphasis is on the theoretical views on professional groups. The purpose of the summer school is to provide an opportunity for PhD students and early career Postdocs (1-2 yrs from graduating) to present their current research and to receive comments from other students and teachers. Moreover, the purpose is to provide an opportunity to network with senior researchers and their peers in this research area. Both members and non-members of ESA are encouraged to apply!

Theoretical views will include sociological theory on professions and professional groups; changes in professionalism, hybridism, academic profession, health profession, and social work profession.

Teachers:

• Assistant professor Teresa Carvalho, University of Aveiro and CIPES, Portugal
• Professor Julia Evetts, University of Nottingham, UK
• Professor Mirko Noordegraaf, Utrecht University, Netherlands
• Dr. Christiane Schnell, Institute for Social Research, Germany
• Dr. Helena Hirvonen, University of Eastern Finland

Who is eligible and how to apply:

There are 20 student places in the Summer School. We warmly welcome all PhD students and early career Postdocs from European universities whose current research is related to the themes of the Summer School to apply. To apply to the Summer School, submit your abstract (1000 words) by March 25th, 2018 to the organizers at: esarn19summerschool[at] gmail.com. The abstract should include a description of the research project, phase of the research, to which University the dissertation will be delivered and name(s) of the supervisor(s). More instructions on how to prepare for the summer school will be sent to the accepted participants after March 25.

Fees and expenses:

There is no participation fee. The organizers will provide meals and refreshments during the Summer School. The participants will cover their own travel and accommodation expenses. We kindly ask you to apply only if you accept these terms of conditions and are prepared to follow the guidelines and deadlines.

For more information:

https://sociologyofprofessions.com/