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MagdaPieczka
socialscientificknowledgeasthebasisforthepublicrelationsprofessionand
thedismissalofthepracticebasedontacitknowledge,oftenreferredtousing
thecolloquialphraseof„flyingbytheseatofone’spants”,canbelinkedto
thatparticulartensionbetweentheneedtoappearrationalandtransparent,on
theonehand,andtopossessexclusiveexpertiseavailableonlytothemembers
oftheprofessionalgroup,ontheother.
ThewayAbbottviewstherolethatknowledgeplaysintheexistenceand
successofaprofessionintroducesanotherelementtothediscussion,thatof
theculturaldimensionpresentinthewayinwhichknowledgeisconstituted.
Hestartsbyoutliningthekeyconnectionbetweenwhatprofessionalsdo–and
thereforeselltotheirclients–andknowledgethatmakesthispossible.“The
tasksofprofessions[i.e.theirjurisdictions]arehumanproblemsamenable
toexpertservice.Theymaybeproblemsforindividuals,likesicknessor
salvation,orforgroups,likefundraisingandauditing.[...]Thedegreeofresort
toexpertsvariesfromproblemtoproblem,fromsocietytosociety,andfrom
timetotime”
10.
Attheheartofthemodelliestherecognitionofadistinctionbetween
objectiveandsubjectivequalityofproblems,orrealcases,professionalsdeal
with.Thefirstisshapedbythe„naturalortechnologicalimperatives”,the
secondis„imposedbythepresentorpastculture”
11.Theobjectivequalityof
problems,andprofessionaltasksneededtodealwiththem,resistsredefinition;
whereassubjectivequalitiesandtasksareculturallyconstructedandcan,
therefore,bere-constructed,possiblyevenaspartofadifferentprofessional
jurisdiction.
“Toinvestigatethesubjectivequalitiesofjurisdictionsisthustoanalyze
themechanismsofprofessionalworkitself.Intheirculturalaspect,the
jurisdictionalclaimsthatcreatethesesubjectivequalitieshavethreeparts:
claimstoclassifyaproblem,toreasonaboutit,andtotakeactiononit”
12.
Beingabletoperformsuchactsandtojustifythemcognitivelythrough
abodyofabstractknowledge(providedbyacademicwork)isabasisfor
claiminganexclusiverighttodealwithspecificreallifeproblems.
Tosumup,professionalknowledegeneedstoberecognisedas
meaningfulinrelationtotheprofessionalprojectenactedundercompetitive
marketconditions.Knowledge,therefore,shouldbeseenasatoolinthe
competitiontoclaimajurisdiction(asetoftasks),oftentoclaimitawayfrom
anotherprofessionalgroup;aswellasatoolinthecompetitionfortrustand
10A.Abbott:TheSystemoftheProfessions:AnEssayontheDivisionofExpertLabor.UniversityofChicago
Press,Chicago,London1988,p.35.
11Ibid.,p.36.
12Ibid.,p.40.
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