A professional association (also called a professional body, professional organization, or professional society) is a group that usually seeks to
further
Further or furthur, alternatively farther, may refer to:
* ''Furthur'' (bus), the Merry Pranksters' psychedelic bus
*Further (band), a 1990s American indie rock band
*Furthur (band)
Furthur was an American rock band founded in 2009 by former G ...
a particular
profession
A profession is a field of Work (human activity), work that has been successfully professionalized. It can be defined as a disciplined group of individuals, professionals, who adhere to ethical standards and who hold themselves out as, and are ...
, the interests of individuals and organisations engaged in that profession, and the
public interest
In social science and economics, public interest is "the welfare or well-being of the general public" and society. While it has earlier philosophical roots and is considered to be at the core of democratic theories of government, often paired ...
. In the United States, such an association is typically a nonprofit business league for tax purposes.
In the UK, they may take a variety of legal forms.
Roles
The roles of professional associations have been variously defined: "A group of people in a learned occupation who are entrusted with maintaining control or oversight of the legitimate practice of the occupation;" also a body acting "to safeguard the public interest;"
organizations which "represent the interest of the professional practitioners," and so "act to maintain their own privileged and powerful position as a controlling body."
Professional associations are ill defined although often have commonality in purpose and activities. In the
UK the
Science Council
The Science Council is a UK organisation that was established by Royal Charter in 2003. The principal activity of The Science Council is the promotion of the advancement and dissemination of knowledge of and education in science pure and applie ...
defines a professional body as "an organisation with individual members practicing a profession or occupation in which the organisation maintains an oversight of the knowledge, skills, conduct and practice of that profession or occupation". The
Quality Assurance Agency
The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (usually referred to simply as the Quality Assurance Agency or QAA) is the United Kingdom higher education sector's independent expert quality body. It has a remit to maintain and enhance the qu ...
distinguishes between statutory bodies and regulators that "have powers mandated by Parliament to regulate a profession or group of professions and protect the use of professional titles" and professional bodies that "are independent membership organisations that oversee the activities of a particular profession and represent the interests of
heir
Inheritance is the practice of receiving private property, titles, debts, entitlements, privileges, rights, and obligations upon the death of an individual. The rules of inheritance differ among societies and have changed over time. Offi ...
members" and which "may offer registration or certification of unregulated occupations on a voluntary basis."
Many professional bodies are involved in accrediting degrees, defining and examining the skills and competencies necessary to practice, and granting
professional certification
Professional certification, trade certification, or professional designation, often called simply ''certification'' or ''qualification'', is a designation earned by a person to assure qualification to perform a job or task. Not all certifications ...
s to indicate that a person is qualified in the subject area.
Many professional bodies also act as
learned societies
A learned society ( ; also scholarly, intellectual, or academic society) is an organization that exists to promote an academic discipline, profession, or a group of related disciplines such as the arts and sciences. Membership may be open to al ...
for the
academic disciplines
An academic discipline or academic field is a subdivision of knowledge that is taught and researched at the college or university level. Disciplines are defined (in part) and recognized by the academic journals in which research is published, a ...
underlying their professions,
American Statistical Association
The American Statistical Association (ASA) is the main professional organization for statisticians and related professionals in the United States. It was founded in Boston, Massachusetts, on November 27, 1839, and is the second-oldest continuous ...
.
See also
* Advocacy
Advocacy is an Action (philosophy), activity by an individual or advocacy group, group that aims to influence decision making, decisions within political, economic, and social institutions. Advocacy includes activities and publications to infl ...
* Affinity group
An affinity group is a group formed around a shared interest or common goal, to which individuals formally or informally belong. Affinity groups are generally precluded from being under the aegis of any governmental agency, and their purposes ...
* Bar association
A bar association is a professional association of lawyers as generally organized in countries following the Anglo-American types of jurisprudence.
* Guild
A guild ( ) is an association of artisans and merchants who oversee the practice of their craft/trade in a particular territory. The earliest types of guild formed as organizations of tradespeople belonging to a professional association. They so ...
* Inter-professional association Inter-professional associations are state-recognized private organizations that group together participants from all stages of the same agricultural commodity chain ( in French), with the objectives of elaborating policies, guaranteeing equity amon ...
* Licensure
Occupational licensing, also called licensure, is a form of government regulation requiring a license to pursue a particular profession or vocation for compensation. It is related to occupational closure.
Some claim higher public support for ...
* List of international professional associations
This is a list of notable professional associations which are international organizations. These organizations are either chartered by international bodies or by relevant national professional associations from multiple countries.
* Commission ...
* List of professional associations in the United Kingdom
The following is a list of notable professional bodies in the United Kingdom. Many of these bodies also act as learned societies for the academic disciplines underlying their professions. The UK government has a list of professional association ...
* Professional order A professional order is an organization which, in a given territory, comprises all the members of the same profession, a profession which can generally be exercised in a liberal manner and which ensures a form of regulation of the profession in ques ...
* Regulatory college
Regulatory colleges are legal entities in Canada charged with serving the public interest by regulating the practice of a profession. They are state-sanctioned to regulate the practice of their professions within Canada.
Most regulatory colleg ...
* Syndicate
A syndicate is a self-organizing group of individuals, companies, corporations or entities formed to transact some specific business, to pursue or promote a shared interest.
Etymology
The word ''syndicate'' comes from the French word ''syndic ...
* Trade association
A trade association, also known as an industry trade group, business association, sector association or industry body, is an organization founded and funded by businesses that operate in a specific Industry (economics), industry. Through collabor ...
* Trade union
A trade union (British English) or labor union (American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers whose purpose is to maintain or improve the conditions of their employment, such as attaining better wages ...
* Working group
A working group is a group of experts working together to achieve specified goals. Such groups are domain-specific and focus on discussion or activity around a specific subject area. The term can sometimes refer to an interdisciplinary collab ...
References
External links
List of Professional bodies in the United Kingdom
List of Professional bodies in Australia
List of Professional bodies in Canada
* Anders Kjellber
''Union density and specialist/professional unions in Sweden''
Lund University: Studies in Social Policy, Industrial Relations, Working Life and Mobility. Research Reports 2013:2
{{DEFAULTSORT:Professional Association
Types of organization