Professions in process

Strauss's entire scholarly production focuses on the subject of work, and of professional work in particular. In contrast to the hegemony of functionalist thinking, however, the interactionist school, to which Strauss belongs, adopts a micro- and meso-analytical viewpoint, analysing labour processes and the organisations within which they occur. This view leads Strauss to introduce the perspective of professional segments and to elaborate a dynamic and processual theory, starting from the observation of the medical profession. His view, which stands as an epistemological break from previous analyses, appears extremely useful for analysing the chal-lenges that the professions face today, as shown in the Italian case. [Publisher's text].