Sociology of Professions: Application to the Civil Engineering “Raise the Bar” Initiative

This paper applies the sociological theory of professions, as espoused by Abbott and Freidson, as a conceptual framework to assess the critical issues associated with the ongoing implementation of ASCE Policy Statement 465—also called the “Raise the Bar” initiative. The sociology of professions provides an objective basis for evaluating key aspects of the initiative, including publication of the civil engineering body of knowledge, raising educational standards for licensure, collaboration with other engineering disciplines, and defining the role of paraprofessionals. The analysis demonstrates the following: (1) the models of professionalism by Abbott and Freidson are highly applicable to civil engineering; (2) most aspects of Policy Statement 465 implementation are consistent with these models; (3) the initiative is contributing to the strength of the profession as intended; and (4) some future additions and adjustments appear to be warranted. From this analysis, the author derives recommendations for the future direction of the Raise the Bar initiative.