Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-wq2xx Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-16T01:44:41.268Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Professions in Society

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 June 2011

C.S. Bellis
C.S. Bellis
Affiliation:
Dept of Actuarial Studies, Macquarie University, NSW 2109, Australia. Tel: +61(0)2-9850-8566; E-mail: cbellis@efs.mq.edu.au
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Actuaries should seek to understand the phenomenon of ‘professions’ because much of our working life is influenced by the belief that we are a ‘profession’. This paper considers various theories as to why professions exist — do they arise naturally to fulfil functions in society, or are they created by the efforts of the occupational groups which aspire to become professions? Professions are shaped by the society of which they are a part. Ongoing changes in society are affecting professions in general, and the actuarial profession in particular. The difficulties which the actuarial profession will face as it seeks to expand beyond its traditional territory are discussed. Finally the author speculates on what institutional forms might replace professions in the twenty-first century.

Keywords

Abstract Theory of Actuarial ScienceAccountantsActuarial ProfessionCultural DifferencesFuture of the ProfessionObjectivityWider Fields
Type
Sessional meetings: papers and abstracts of discussions
Information
British Actuarial Journal , Volume 6 , Issue 2 , 01 August 2000 , pp. 317 - 364
Copyright
Copyright © Institute and Faculty of Actuaries 2000

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Abbott, A. (1988). The system of professions. University of Chicago Press, Chicago.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Amark, K. (1990). Open cartels and social closures: professional strategies in Sweden, 1860–1950. In Burrage, M. & Torhstendahl, R. (eds), Professions in theory and history. Sage Publications, London and Newbury Park, California.Google Scholar
AMP (1848, unpub.). Board minutes, AMP archives, Sydney.Google Scholar
Atfield, R. (1997). Discussion after the President's plenary session of the centenary convention of the Institute of Actuaries of Australia. Transactions of the Institute of Actuaries of Australia.Google Scholar
Bell, L.L., Brender, A., Brown, R.L., Dicke, A.A., Gramer, C.R., Gutterman, S., Hughes, M.A., Klugman, S., Luckner, W., McMurray, M.A., Philbrick, S.W., Roberts, J.N., Terry, K.F., Tan, J.H., Walters, M.A., Woll, R.G. & Woods, P.B. (1988). General principles of actuarial science. Transactions of the 26th International Congress of Actuaries, 1, 145–170.Google Scholar
Bellis, C. (1997). The future-managers: actuaries in Australia 1853–1997. The Institute of Actuaries of Australia, Sydney.Google Scholar
Booth, P.M. (1997). The political economy of regulation. B.A.J. 3, 675–707.Google Scholar
Brint, S. (1994). In an age of experts. Princeton University Press, Princeton.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Burrage, M. (1990). Beyond a subset: the professional aspirations of manual workers in France, the United States and Britain. In Burrage, M. & Torhstendahl, R. (eds), Professions in theory and history. Sage Publications, London and Newbury Park, California.Google Scholar
Carr-Saunders, A.M. & Wilson, P.A. (1933). The professionals. Frank Cass, London.Google Scholar
Daykin, C. D. (1992). The developing role of the Government Actuary's Department in the supervision of life insurance. J.I.A. 119, 313–348.Google Scholar
Eagles, L. (1998). Friendly societies. In Life, death and money. Blackwell, Oxford.Google Scholar
Ferguson, D.G.R. (1997). For goodness sake. B.A.J. 3, 1–26.Google Scholar
Foley, P., Shared, A. & Sutton, J. (1982). The economics of the professions. LSE, London.Google Scholar
Freidson, E. (1986). Professional powers. University of Chicago Press, Chicago.Google Scholar
Freidson, E. (1988). Profession of medicine. University of Chicago Press, Chicago.Google Scholar
Friedman, M. (1962). Capitalism and freedom. University of Chicago Press, Chicago.Google Scholar
Goford, J. (1985). The control cycle: financial control of a life assurance company, J.I.A.S.S. 28, 99–114.Google Scholar
Holland, D. (1997). What it means to be a professional. Reprinted in The Actuary, August 1997. Staple Inn Actuarial Society, London.Google Scholar
Larson, M.S. (1979). The rise of professionalism. University of California Press, Berkeley.Google Scholar
Lewin, C.G. (1998). Earliest days. In Life death and money. Blackwell, Oxford.Google Scholar
Melville, G. L. (1969). The unit-linked approach to life insurance. Transactions of the Institute of Actuaries of Australia.Google Scholar
Porter, T.M. (1995). The pursuit of objectivity in science and public life. Princeton University Press, Princeton.Google Scholar
Rugland, W. (1993). Assuming the mantle of professionalism. 1993 Valuation Actuary Symposium, U.S.A..Google Scholar
Sherris, M. (1987). The role of the actuary and the theory of contracting. Transactions of the Institute of Actuaries of Australia, II.Google Scholar
Simmonds, R. C. (1948). The institute of Actuaries, 1848–1948. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.Google Scholar
Thornton, P.N. (1999). Presidential address. Lessons from history. B.A.J. 5, 27–48.Google Scholar