Dominerende diskurser i talen om professioner

Abstract

The discourse of professions dominates how we conceive of occupational groups like teachers and nurses. It does not, however, necessarily grasp very well the core of the work these groups do, their relations to state and market in times of change in the public sector. The articles scrutinise a number of discourses that currently challenge this dominant discourse of professions: a discourse on knowledge society and continual change, individualising competency discourses, discourses on subjectivity, discourses on democracy vs. market, a gender discourse. These discourses change how one can legitimately talk about oneself within the occupations concerned. The articles refer to a Danish context. They are relevant, however, to a wider Nordic context and beyond.