The Sociology Of Professions: Application To Civil Engineering

This paper applies the sociological theory of professions, as espoused by Abbott and Freidson, as a conceptual framework to assess the critical issues associated with the ongoing American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Policy Statement 465 initiative. The sociology of professions provides an objective basis for judging the appropriateness of various aspects of Policy 465 implementation, such as publication of the civil engineering body of knowledge, raising educational standards for licensure, collaboration with other engineering disciplines, and the role of university-based research. This analysis demonstrates that Freidson’s model of professionalism is highly applicable to civil engineering; that most aspects of Policy Statement 465 implementation are consistent with the model; and that this initiative is contributing to the strength of the profession as intended. Based on this analysis, the authors derive concomitant recommendations for the future direction of the “Raise the Bar” initiative.