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From "Pure" to "Hybrid" Professionalism

Present-Day Professionalism in Ambiguous Public Domains

University of Utrecht, Netherlands, m.noordegraaf{at}usg.uu.nl

Public sectors struggle with professionalism. Classic professions are weakened, welfare state occupations professionalize, and public managers try to become professionals. This raises questions. What is professionalism? What is professional control in ambiguous occupational domains? What happens when different types of occupational control get mixed up? The first question is answered by portraying classic professionalism as "controlled content." The second question is answered by tracing a transition from "pure" to "hybrid" professionalism in domains such as health care and social work. The third question is answered by portraying present-day professionalism as "content of control" instead of controlled content.

Key Words: professionalism • knowledge society • public sector reform • managerial professionals • professional managers

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This Article Abstract Free Full Text (Free PDF) Free Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Noordegraaf, M. Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                   What's this?