Organization:Professional association
A professional association (also called a professional body, professional organization, or professional society) is a group that usually seeks to further a particular profession, the interests of individuals and organisations engaged in that profession, and the public interest. In the United States, such an association is typically a nonprofit business league for tax purposes.[1] In the UK, they may take a variety of legal forms.[2]
Roles
The roles of professional associations have been variously defined: "A group of people in a learned occupation who are entrusted with maintaining control or oversight of the legitimate practice of the occupation;"[3] also a body acting "to safeguard the public interest;"[4] organizations which "represent the interest of the professional practitioners," and so "act to maintain their own privileged and powerful position as a controlling body."[4] Professional associations are ill defined although often have commonality in purpose and activities.[5] In the UK, the Science Council defines a professional body as "an organisation with individual members practicing a profession or occupation in which the organisation maintains an oversight of the knowledge, skills, conduct and practice of that profession or occupation".[6] The Quality Assurance Agency distinguishes between statutory bodies and regulators that "have powers mandated by Parliament to regulate a profession or group of professions and protect the use of professional titles" and professional bodies that "are independent membership organisations that oversee the activities of a particular profession and represent the interests of [their] members" and which "may offer registration or certification of unregulated occupations on a voluntary basis."[7]
Many professional bodies are involved in accrediting degrees, defining and examining the skills and competencies necessary to practice, and granting professional certifications to indicate that a person is qualified in the subject area.[8]
Many professional bodies also act as learned societies for the academic disciplines underlying their professions,[1][9] such as the American Statistical Association.
See also
- Advocacy
- Bar association
- Guild
- Regulatory college
- Inter-professional association
- List of international professional associations
- Licensure
- Syndicate
- Trade association
- Trade union
- Working group
- Affinity group
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Speight, James (2014-12-10). Educating Scientists and Engineers for Academic and Non-Academic Career Success. CRC Press. p. 59. ISBN 9781466553576. https://books.google.com/books?id=9B7cBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA59. Retrieved 24 August 2018.
- ↑ Holmes, CS. "The Nature, Form And Purpose Of Contemporary Professional Associations: An Extended Case Study Of The British Association For Counselling And Psychotherapy". https://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.794007.
- ↑ Harvey, L. (2004). "Professional body". Quality Research International. http://www.qualityresearchinternational.com/glossary/professionalbody.htm.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Harvey, L.; Mason, S.; Ward, R. (1995). Role of Professional Bodies in Higher Education Quality Monitoring. Birmingham: Quality in Higher Education Project. ISBN 1-85920-108-3.
- ↑ Holmes, CS. "The Nature, Form And Purpose Of Contemporary Professional Associations: An Extended Case Study Of The British Association For Counselling And Psychotherapy". https://leicester.figshare.com/articles/thesis/The_Nature_Form_And_Purpose_Of_Contemporary_Professional_Associations_An_Extended_Case_Study_Of_The_British_Association_For_Counselling_And_Psychotherapy/11335652/1.
- ↑ "Our definition of a Professional Body". Science Council. https://sciencecouncil.org/about-science/our-definition-of-a-professional-body/.
- ↑ "UK Quality Code for Higher Education: Part A: Seeing and Maintaining Academic Standards". Quality Assurance Agency. 2018. pp. 5–6. https://www.qaa.ac.uk/docs/qaa/quality-code/part-a.pdf.
- ↑ "Professional bodies and professional qualification". Target Jobs. https://targetjobs.co.uk/professional-qualification-and-accreditation.
- ↑ Sha, Mandy (2019-05-14). "Professional Association and Pathways to Leadership in Our Profession" (in en). Survey Practice 12 (1). doi:10.29115/SP-2018-0039. https://www.surveypractice.org/article/8192-professional-association-and-pathways-to-leadership-in-our-profession.
External links
- List of Professional bodies in the United Kingdom
- List of Professional bodies in Australia
- List of Professional bodies in Canada
- Anders Kjellberg Union density and specialist/professional unions in Sweden, Lund University: Studies in Social Policy, Industrial Relations, Working Life and Mobility. Research Reports 2013:2
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