Remedies
Durkheim thought that professional ethics are to be set up and enforced by people who are practicing professionals. They have the knowledge of the profession. They can evaluate the consequences of professional action. And more importantly they mix with other members of the profession not only in professional interest but also for communication, identity, meanings and spending much of their time. In the process of mixing all professions develop their own norms. The strength of these norms depends heavily on the strength and integration of professional groups. This means that in professions in which people are loosely connected to each other for professional or life-interests professional ethics are also less developed. Contrary to this, in professions in which people are closely connected to each other for professional or life-interests professional ethics are also more developed. Durkheim treats professions analogous to family. To quote (Durkheim, 1957, p.7):
In general, all things being equal, the greater the strength of the group structure, the more numerous are the moral rules appropriate to it and the greater the authority they have over their members. For the more closely the group coheres, the closer and more frequent the contact of the individuals, and, the more frequent and intimate these contacts and the more exchange there is of ideas and sentiments, the more does a public opinion spread to cover a great number of things. |
Thus when a group is strong they tend to appoint officials to supervise the work of subordinates, as in army, education, law and government. When the group is weak, and members have very little interaction, except in meeting in annual conferences no professional ethics exist. Chambers of industries or associations of businessmen may belong to this type. Durkheim also suggests that the framework guiding relations between members of a profession or between employers and employees should be attached to state: “Occupational legislation could hardly be other than an application in particular of the law in general, just as professional ethics can only be a special form of common morality.” (Durkheim, 1957, 39).
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