Being a Professional

Abstract

In this chapter I consider how professional work is currently being constructed and the implications of current developments for the relative importance of the specialist knowledge and the responsibility and trust which have contributed to the notion of professionalism. In doing so I shall pursue the argument pursued in previous chapters that the relational expertise and relational agency that I have been describing, with all their attention to commitment and values, cannot replace the specialist knowledge that is contributed to the collective intelligence in use in complex activities. Topics covered include working in relation, knowledge and commitment in professional work, expert knowledge and relational agency and knowledge in practices.