Open AccessInequity and the Professionalisation of Speech-Language Pathology
Author(s) -
Kristen Abrahams,
Harsha Kathard,
Michal Harty,
Mershen Pillay
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
professions and professionalism
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.31
H-Index - 6
ISSN - 1893-1049
DOI - 10.7577/pp.3285
Subject(s) - sociology , population , embeddedness , injustice , public relations , medicine , social science , psychology , political science , social psychology , demography
As a profession, speech-language pathology (SLP) continues to struggle with equitable service delivery to both people with communication challenges and disabilities. SLP clinical practice in its traditional form has an individual focus and therefore cannot adequately serve the large population in need, which, in South Africa is the majority population. Using the concept of social embeddedness of professions as a guiding frame, the article explores the history of the profession and the influence of the medical model and coloniality in shaping SLP profession’s knowledge and practices. As such, we argue that professionalisation in its current form perpetuates injustice. The article proposes innovation across clinical practice, education and research as leverage points for imagining new practices.