German Experience of Professionalization

Modern learned professions (medicine, law, teaching, engineering, and others) developed in central Europe just as vigorously as in England or America. Yet their close relationship with state power - more typical of the world development of professions than the Anglo-American model - led to a different historical experience of professionalization. This work is the first to explore that experience in a comprehensive way from the time when modern learned professions arose until the eve of World War II. Based on the history and surviving records of German professional organizations, it shows how the learned professions emerged gradually in the nineteenth century from the shadow of strong state regulation to achieve a high degree of autonomy and control over professional standards by the First World War. By studying professional groups collectively, it gives a more contoured picture of their fate under National Socialism than works dedicated primarily to the phenomenon of fascism itself.

"McClelland has provided a valuable survey of national organizations and periods of professional development which will provide a framework for more detailed future research, and which usefully links the history of professional groups to the history of state and society." Canadian Journal of History, "Unrelenting concentration on the lessons of empirical analysis for professionalization theory, which make possible conclusions such as this, surely constitute the great strength of McClelland's book....considerable achievement in the field of professionalization theory." Kees Gispen, Journal of Social History, "...historians interested in the professions will find much that is valuable in this book. McClelland's international comparisons are particularly commendable" Isis, "...a very useful survey of an increasingly important field of study." Geoffrey Cocks, American Historical Review, "...pioneering work....If McClelland's book will serve to draw historians of education into the comparative study of the professions, their education, and their work, it will have served far beyond being an informative and enlightening contribution to our understanding of its subject matter." Jurgen Herbst, History of Education Quarterly