The Rise of Professionalism: A Sociological Analysis

The Rise of Professionalism offers a penetrating reconstruction of how "the professions" emerged as distinctive power formations in modern capitalist societies. Magali Sarfatti Larson dismantles functionalist and ideal-typical accounts that naturalize professional prestige by invoking disinterested service and esoteric knowledge. Drawing on Freidson's practice-centered sociology and Gramsci's theory of intellectuals, Larson reframes professionalization as a historical project: the collectiv...