CHAPTER

II

DISCUSSION AND DEFINITION OF THE CONCEPTS

1. PROFESSION:
The question as of to what constitutes the essential by the

characteristics claims put forth

a profession has become complex in recent times by different

occupational

groups, for professional status. The clamour for professional status and recognition on the part of many occupational command

groups, serve to highlight the fact that professions great prestige in contemporary society and that status is a highly sought after value.

professional

In general profession denotes an occupation which profess develop as a knowledge system in the special problem health and disease or law and area

to such The them

religion,

justice. gives

special

access to a specific area of knowledge,

the right to claim that they know better than the rest of the general population. The common people must therefore, their advice But in their area of competence, without of accept much any more term

argument. empirical clear,

this explanation is beyond the scope

operational definition. have

To make the concept to explain the

sociologists

attempted

29

profession in various ways. The most common way is to

derive

an ideal type of a definition mostly based on the examples of established professions such as law and medicine.

Millerson,G(1964), in a survey of the work of twenty one such writers elements traits The into (iv) points out that they list twenty three different mentioned (ii) entry

between them. Among the most

frequently

are : (i) Skill based on theoretical knowledge; to

provision of Training and test of entry prior the occupation; (iii) Tests of competence Professional Organisation; adherence to a of

members;

professional

code of Conduct; (v> altruistic service (Millerson, 1978). In addition on core to this a perusal the concept of of sociological literature the are

available following

profession of

identify which

Characteristics

profession,

mostly accepted throughout the world (Sheffer' 1968). 1. Research and continuous in-service updating of Social society for and the (13)

specialized knowledge; (7) Intellectual activity; (8) necessity (10) (9) Recognition by public and status terminology (11) Code of Autonomy of the in

Standarised (12)

ethics

practitioners

profession

Authority of the practitioners. Two facts emerge clearly from the various attempts to elucidate the meaning of profession Firstly knowledge, intellectual profession to applies to a body of theoretical course are of

be acquired through a Secondly.

prescribed

training,

Professions

tightly

30

organized bodies, which among other things, set the standards of proficiency, regulate entry into their own organisation, and a one

grant thus code

licences for practice of their specialized skills secure monopoly over their practice,and prescribe with

of conduct for the members in their dealings

another as well as with the clients.

III. PATRIARCHY :In general the term patriarchy is used to describe a

particular form of household organisation in which the father dominated controlled other members of an extended kinship the economic production of the network and

household. describe

According to feminists patriarchy is a term used to

the organizing principle of male dominance.(Maria Mies, 1977)

IV-

EXPLOITATION AND OPPRESSION :The women's the movement for the first time of oppression as brought distinct into from

focus

existence

exploitation. Exploitation is rooted in the economic reality. It manifests itself society. All those whether in the class structure of the capitalist who work for or wages women. have to face

exploitation

they be men

"Exploitative non-

social relations," says Maria Mies,( 1977 ) producers is

exist when

used the services of actual producers. associated with the use of force in of a living being. 31

Oppression order to

basically

repress the will

V-

THE FAMILY The family is the locus for the continuation of women's women

oppression not only because of its part in socializing

to their roles in life, but also because of the psychological domination of men within that institution. The primary burden of women within the family is their continued responsibility

for extensive household labour, which plays a central role in maintaining the capitalist social order. The mode specific of form the family takes within the capitalist primary locus for the of

production of

serves as the

regeneration

a sexist ideology and the

perpetuation

women's oppression. This has serious repercussions on women's exploitation in the work sphere. It gives credence to the

belief that the male wageearner is the primary bread for

winner and of to

the family. Evidence of the lag between this belief is, however, glaring. In reality, the earnings crucial

reality other

family members, besides the male head Are

the maintenance of the household. The household is an area in which the members share accepted responsibilities associated with certain living

mutually together

in the traditional

household the division of tasks

is fairly rigid. Women are primarily responsible for domestic work and of childcare which is inclusive of of servicing all

members

the family and long hours

fatiguing

labour

32

and

intensive work. of to

This work is undertaken by women financial dependence Since most upon and

in

relationship subordination

hence are

the

men.

households

dominated by patriarchal values, it appears to the observers made the as an area which the woman is

objective

systematically nan. In work

dependent upon and unequal in relation to the context is of existential reality a seen as an expression nan's of

domestic the

therefore

fundamental

inequality of the marriage contract 1984). VI The THE CONCEPT OF 'ROLE'

(Lalitha K & Kalpana K ,

term social role refers to the expected kind

of

social Thus which

behavior the

associated with a particular social position.

position of a 'teacher' is associated with a role

includes all the activities of teaching and a number of other expected forms of behavior. Social status refers to the does

position in a hierarchy. At the same time social status

not, primarily, refer to a placing in a graded order of power or rank but set to the social position. of activities Every with status it. has a

certain constitute the

associated

Which

its roles.

The roles are, again, associated with Status and role, are

rights

and duties of a status. serving to connect the

concepts

culturally

defined which

expectations with patterned behavior and relationships

33

comprise

the

social

structure.

Each

person

in

society

occupies, inevitably, multiple statuses and for each of these statuses social there is " an associatedrole". A particular an

status involves, not a single associated role but

array of associated roles. social by a structure. distinctive

This is a basic characteristic of structure can is be referred meant that

"This fact of

term "roleset" by which

complement of role relationships which persons have by virtue of occupying a particular social role." (Merton 1957) The concepts of role-set and of statusset Arm structural and refer time. Norms are standards of conduct that should or should not Social norms Arm defined either as evolutions evaluations Arm should and should not be or do to the parts of the social structure at a particular

followed. as

sanctions.

statements, while sanctions particular behavior.

refer to punishments attached to as of

Social values are generally defined

shared conceptions of the desirable or shared conceptions desirable goals (Lakovizsanford - 1977). Both norms and of values are important elements in

the order

organisation

human society because these

provide

stability and predictability in interpersonal Both roles function as mechanisms of social control.

relationships. Thus social And

Arm in accordance with the social values,

ideals

34

patterns. easily in

These any

ideals,

values and norms do becomes Even

not

change for

society and thus it

difficult if the

changetooccurfast insociety.

status women,

changes with employment, as in the case of the modern her traditional role expectations remain the same. VII. The SOCIAL ROLE :social role is also termed as "personal role "

which role

includes specific and general social work. The specific of the profession refers of knowledge as and

to specialization in certain domain is what they role

their general social role of certain group.

perform

members that

Every

social

presupposes

there

is a common

bond

between

"social

person and "social circle' ( Mishra L.S. 1984).

35