Professions in process

Strauss's entire scholary 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 wich Strauss belongs, adopts a micro- and meso-analytical viewpoint, analysing labour processes and the organisations within wich 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, wich stands as an epistemological break from previous analyses, appears extremely useful for analysing the challenges that the professions face today, as shown in the Italian case.