Professional classes bring world to collapse?

Perkins views-

Art first sight the point of view expressed by Perkin makes some sense and I suppose that there has been a rise in ‘professionalism’ over the last 100 years. However professional classes are not new, something vaguely acknowledged in the piece, Egyptian society had a powerful and effective professional class for example. That we live in a time of unprecedented wealth seems strong (though many are still in poverty) that there are great advances in the distribution of basic good is also a real factor. However it seems the argument rests on the idea that there is ‘a cause’ for change when in fact it might have been a more robust (bit less interesting) argument if it was a regarded as ‘a factor’. The application of science to the way we live has gone through a complete revolution too, and it is the applied sciences that give us both the unprecedented style of life that we have and leave the possibility of mass destruction hanging over our head, wither as the result of nuclear holocaust or through the throttling of our spaceship earth through the over use of resources. We could also take an educational view where the change has come about because vast swates of the population now have an education that was previous denied them and that this leads toa different way of life in its wake.

The chapter is a child of its times though in a way it cannily almost expects the banking crash of last year. This though is surely an example of personal greed over professionalism as much as professionalism destroying itself. There is a crux here about what we mean by profession, but in banking terms it might include the words ‘prudent’ and ‘honest’ characteristics that were absent within the sector, and the struggles now going on might be seen as a debate about how best to reintroduce professional standards.

The article itself does not really deal with the possible effects of continuous growth and the possibility of 0% growth or even contraction in our attempts to achieve this the professional classes are at the moment unable to provide more than a debate and action is lacking. I would have said offhand this is more the effects of free market forces and the ‘shortermism’ that they produce that are in effect acting as manacles on the professional classes who might be able to resolve the situation.

professional, e-learnign professional

E-learning professional a part of 1.2

RObin Mason gives a picture of someone who has grown with the profession, professionalism here happens almost by default and imperceptibly. This has almost happened to me. I am always somewhat surprised when I find I have been asked along (and paid) for something because people want my 'opinion'. Somehow I feel I am just a teacher with an angle on things but over the years those 'angles' have become more noticeable.

In this I am rather like Gill who got to be an e-learning professional by ' by drift and default'. I think this is open to challenge, I suspect that if we looked at this 'drift and default' in more depth then we would see that there was often a great deal of deliberation. Like a sailor sailing a lifeboat the eventual destination might not be in sight but the day to day course is clearly decided upon. SHe cites the HEA 5 porfessioanl values

1.

Respect for individual learners.

2.

Commitment to incorporating the process and outcomes of relevant research, scholarship and/or professional practice.

3.

Commitment to the development of learning communities.

4.

Commitment to encouraging participation in Higher Education, acknowledging diversity and promoting equality of opportunity.

5.

Commitment to continuing professional development and the evaluation of practice.

These principles do not , as far as I can determine, constitute the mechanism for making a professional but do support the understanding of a philosophical underpinning.