Definition of Profession
There is a dominant, contemporary mode of thinking about professionalism termed the “attribute approach” (Dingwall, 1976). The attribute approach begins from the basic assumption that it is possible to list fixed criteria for recognizing a profession on which there will be a general consensus. These criteria can be used to distinguish between professions and other occupations in a relatively clear and unproblematic fashion. Parsons (l954), Freidson (l97l), and Illich (l973) have followed the attribute approach heavily. The following paragraphs discuss these three writers’ definition of “profession.”