Beelden van de professional: Inspiratiebronnen voor professionalisering

Although the inspiration of a professional is often seen as the basis of his or her occupational performance, within contemporary occupational practice this inspiration appears to be under increasing pressure. The quest, in this dissertation, for potential sources of inspiration for professionalization starts off by developing an ideal typical model that centres on the positive potential of professionalism: that is, the realisation of humanitarian values (such as health or justice) under difficult circumstances. Professional expertise is then particularly a matter of decision-making on the intersection of analysis and action (such as the doctor’s prescription or the judge’s verdict). The model furthermore emphasizes the importance of embedding professionalism within the occupational group, the occupational context, and society at large.

The second part of the dissertation explores so-called images of the professional. These are practice-oriented theories in which an ideal of professional performance is embodied in and by the professional as a person. Examples of such practice-oriented theories are the learning professional, the reflective practitioner and the intrapreneur. This section shows how images of the professional serve as identification models for professionals and as sources of inspiration for professionalization.

The third and last part of the dissertation examines the function of these practice-oriented theories in the reflective discourse of professions, by analysing ten volumes of a Dutch professional journal for social workers. In this journal, images of the professional are mainly used to portray a practice ideal, but also to describe actual practices. Precisely as achievable ideals, such images prove to be suited as sources of inspiration for professionalization.