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Engineering as a Profession
Profession
a. An occupation requiring training and specialized study.
b. The body of qualified persons in an occupation or field.
In a broad sense, any kind of occupation that provides a
means by which to earn a living is a profession.
In the sense intended for our course, however, there are
criteria for an occupation to be considered as a profession.
1. Advanced expertise.
2. Self-regulation.
3. Concerted service to the public good.
Engineering as a Profession
Requirements:
1. Advance expertise
a. Sophisticated skills (Knowing-how)
b. Theoretical knowledge (Knowing-that)
c. Continuing education (Update of knowledge)
2. Self-regulation
a. Public and the government representation (Organization)
b. Set of standards for admission to the profession (Quality
not quantity)
c. Professional code (Code of Ethics)
2. Concerted service to the public good
a. The occupation serves important aspect of the public
good(Mission)
b. Maintain high ethical standards in practice of the
profession (Concerted effort)
Engineering as a Profession
Issue
Exactly how these criteria (for an occupation to be considered as a
profession) are understood and applied involves judgments about
value standards. Because there are innumerable forms of work or
occupations which contribute to the public good (like hair cutting
and garbage collection) but does not meet these set of criteria.
Indeed, some critics argue that this is an elitist attempt and a
discrimination to distinguish professions from other forms of work.
Engineering as a Profession
Issue
In reply, we agree that these forms of work (like garbage
collection and hair-cutting) are valuable and professionalism
should not be primarily about social status.
Nevertheless, concerted efforts to maintain high standards of
moral responsibility, together with a sophisticated level of
required skill and the requisite autonomy to do so, warrants the
recognition traditionally associated with the word profession.
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