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...