Becoming´ is used in this interdisciplinary work as an emergent, iterative concept of professional identity formation. The conceptual framework of becoming´, as well as the arguments in the book are intended to encourage professionals-and those engaged in their education-to reflect on what it means to be a professional´ in the twenty-first century, an era dominated by the discourses of globalisation, new mangerialism´, multiculturalism and deprofessionalisation. We live in a world where not only scholars, but also a better educated client base informed by technological innovations, have issued unprecedented challenges to the traditional professional ideal. The once paradigmatic identity of the superiority of the Anglo-American professional, grounded in an exclusive knowledge-base and an altruistic public-service´ principle, are no longer tenable.
The book will generate dialogue about the nature of professionalism through a multidisciplinary lens in chapters on medicine, nursing and teaching and in reference to social work, the clergy and engineering. Here, becoming a professional is a lifelong, extended process that constructs an individual´s professional identity through formal education, workplace interactions and popular culture. It advocates the ongoing´ modality of developing a professional self throughout one´s professional life. What emerges from this work is a concept of becoming a professional that is quite different from the isolated, rugged, individualistic approach to traditional professional practice as represented in popular culture. It is a book for the reflective professional.
