Striving to be professional in a post-professional world

Abstract

ABSTRACT

Taking a Foucauldian perspective, this paper examines career practitioners’ positioningagainst traditional and contemporary discourses of ‘profession’ in New Zealand. Itdetermines two subject positions. Critical reflectors identify with traditional constructs ofhaving a profession, predicated on academic qualifications, knowledge and ethics. Essentialised pragmatists identify with ‘new professionalism,’ distrusting academicknowledge, preferring intuition and behaving professionally. As traditional constructs arerepositioned as antiquated, critical reflectors must relocate themselves within ‘newprofessionalism,’ but mourn the loss of having a profession. Possibilities of resistance arelimited. However, post-professionalism now threatens new professionalism, leading to anuncertain future.