Professional education and labour have been nationally deregulated. On the EU-level there is, however, a dynamic integration and re-regulation away from ‘hard tools’ and a growing importance of ‘soft regulation’. The aim of this article is to study the development of methods for...

The market for professional services is increasingly international but comparisons have not been made between different professions nor on how state policies affect opportunities for mobility. This article considers three professions: engineers, physicians and psychologists and explores the...

Issues regarding professions are exceedingly being negotiated and reregulated at the European level by European professional federations and EU public authorities. These new trends raise questions for the sociological analysis of professions regarding standards of professional education, forms...

The proliferation of reforms in public administration based on the principles and instruments of the “New Public Management” (NPM) have triggered protest from and collective action by many professional groups in various sectors (healthcare, education, justice, social work, research…) and...

Les dispositifs d’action publique font de plus en plus appel aux compétences et à la mobilisation des agents chargés de leur mise en œuvre, afin de répondre au plus près aux demandes des usagers et des citoyens. Les schémas de division du travail s'éloignent des modèles...

This article examines the mechanisms of ascription of responsibility in organizations, in a context of growing concerns about risk prevention and management. It is argued that the increasing appeal to professional knowledge and expertise, combined with a decline of trust in professional...