MEANING
The process by which an activity gains the training, standards, roles, or recognition associated with a profession.
Use it for
explaining an occupation’s development of formal standards; tracing a shift from voluntary to paid or credentialed work; analyzing how expertise becomes organizationally recognizedNames a change in occupational organization, training or standards, not merely an increase in personal competence. Academic functions: Theory / Conceptual Language.
Words that belong together
- the professionalization of teaching
- occupational professionalization
- the professionalization of an activity
On the page
The chapter links the professionalization of social work to new training requirements.
Professionalization may strengthen standards while also restricting access to an occupation.
Nearby words
Word forms
- Base
- professionalization
Usage notes
Usually uncountable. Professionalizations may distinguish separate historical processes. British professionalisation is a spelling variant. Register: formal. Commonness: uncommon (qualitative editorial estimate, informed by dictionaries/corpus).
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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