Currently, South African editors do not have a prescribed set of professional editing standards. The absence of standards is cause for concern because it reflects the largely unregulated status of the South African editing industry. An important problem arising from the lack of standards is that there is no way in which the industry can determine the competence of its practitioners. In addition, the absence of standards also affects other areas of the industry, such as training, accreditation, regulation and professionalisation. As a consequence, editors struggle to obtain professional recognition for their work. Against this background, this study postulates that the development of standards for South African editors is possible and necessary. However, because the South African editing industry is highly diversified in terms of the various contexts in which editors may work, the development of standards needs to be based on the identification of shared or core tasks and skills that are essential for the everyday work of all editors, together with the identification of tasks and skills specific to certain sectors. This may lead to the development of a set of core standards for editors, supplemented by sector-specific standards. The focal point of this study is the first of these two aspects: the development of core standards for editors in South Africa. In order to develop core standards for South African editors, this study comprises a literature review and empirical investigation. The literature review analyses the status of the South African editing industry, and also contributes to the identification of a comprehensive list of tasks and skills involved in editing. The empirical investigation is based on a survey questionnaire (utilising the tasks and skills identified in the literature review) designed to collect data on which tasks and skills form an essential part of South African editors' work. The questionnaire was sent to a stratified sample of South African editors, reflecting the four sectors identified for the purposes of this study: editing for book publishing, editing for mass media, technical editing and academic editing. The data collected from the questionnaire was analysed utilising various statistical methods, in order to extrapolate core (or shared) tasks and skills among South African editors. These core tasks and skills were used to draft a document outlining core standards for South African editors, which was tested for accessibility and clarity by means of a semi-Delphi study. / M.A., Language Practice, North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2010

Currently, South African editors do not have a prescribed set of professional editing standards. The absence of standards is cause for concern because it reflects the largely unregulated status of the South African editing industry. An important problem arising from the lack of standards is that there is no way in which the industry can determine the competence of its practitioners. In addition, the absence of standards also affects other areas of the industry, such as training, accreditation, regulation and professionalisation. As a consequence, editors struggle to obtain professional recognition for their work. Against this background, this study postulates that the development of standards for South African editors is possible and necessary. However, because the South African editing industry is highly diversified in terms of the various contexts in which editors may work, the development of standards needs to be based on the identification of shared or core tasks and skills that are essential for the everyday work of all editors, together with the identification of tasks and skills specific to certain sectors. This may lead to the development of a set of core standards for editors, supplemented by sector-specific standards. The focal point of this study is the first of these two aspects: the development of core standards for editors in South Africa. In order to develop core standards for South African editors, this study comprises a literature review and empirical investigation. The literature review analyses the status of the South African editing industry, and also contributes to the identification of a comprehensive list of tasks and skills involved in editing. The empirical investigation is based on a survey questionnaire (utilising the tasks and skills identified in the literature review) designed to collect data on which tasks and skills form an essential part of South African editors' work. The questionnaire was sent to a stratified sample of South African editors, reflecting the four sectors identified for the purposes of this study: editing for book publishing, editing for mass media, technical editing and academic editing. The data collected from the questionnaire was analysed utilising various statistical methods, in order to extrapolate core (or shared) tasks and skills among South African editors. These core tasks and skills were used to draft a document outlining core standards for South African editors, which was tested for accessibility and clarity by means of a semi-Delphi study. / M.A., Language Practice, North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2010

Thèse diffusée initialement dans le cadre d'un projet pilote des Presses de l'Université de Montréal/Centre d'édition numérique UdeM (1997-2008) avec l'autorisation de l'auteur.

This study was undertaken using Foucault’s genealogical approach to explore an aspect in the governmentality of the nursing profession from the 1950s to the present. It uses developments in the education of nurses in South Australia as a case in point, but includes, at all stages, a concomitant analysis of global trends in the profession and education of nurses. Hence, data were collected from historical documents such as government reports, professional nursing journals, nursing text books and curriculum documents across the period for analysis, from South Australia and Flinders University as a particular case. I thought of these texts as data and examples of the production of discourses about nursing education and practice influenced by the Foucauldian method of process of The Archaeology of Knowledge (1972). These discourses produced in both social and professional spheres mirror the sociological knowledge development of the professionalisation agenda that has enveloped the process of professional legitimacy since the Second World War. The interactions are described intertextuality, with each chapter in this thesis presenting the interconnectedness of a variety of discourses. The Foucauldian perspective achieved the purpose of seeking how nursing was shaped by the society and influenced society to form what constituted a nursing professional, to the present time. ‘Uncertainty’ in the nursing profession was the key concept found in the investigation. Nursing attempted to reduce uncertainty by regulating nursing education, and by setting boundaries for the practice of professional nursing. This governmentality generation process reflects other forms of surveillance developed during the late 20th century, and was used to establish the subjectivity of nurses in terms of ‘who’ has the right to define nursing and its knowledge systems. The role of the nurse and the requirements for a nurse were emphasised as personal characteristics rather than as professional behaviour when nurse ‘training’ occurred solely in the hospitals. Who defined the role of nurse and who could be a nurse was decided by medical officers and administrators rather than nurses themselves. As the description of the role of the nurse was expanded to the social sphere, the debates about the appropriate place for nursing students’ training was influential in bringing about change. Establishing nursing education in the tertiary sector facilitated the professionalisation of nursing. I explored curriculum development as an example of the internal governmentality of nursing. The historical analysis of curriculum development processes at an Australian university and its antecedent organisations, showed how nursing educators think about nursing and the role of nurse and how they reflect these requirements in the teaching of nursing students. The way of thinking about nursing and the professional nurse role was also actively observed in the discourses arguing for the use of the thinking tools of nursing such as the nursing process, other problem-solving approaches and latterly for the use of clinical reasoning. This study uncovered the process of handling uncertainty internal and external to nursing through processes of professional education. Uncertainty control was an essential in nursing education and thinking tools were key in the process for nursing educators to re-set the parameters of nursing. Professional education aims to develop both the individual nurse and the profession, as a whole, which may lead to conflicts of interest. Therefore, it is important for nurse educators to be aware of these potential conflicts of interests in their governmental strategies. It is also necessary to develop an interactive and corroborative curriculum that includes the many stakeholders interested in the development of the nursing profession.

Thèse diffusée initialement dans le cadre d'un projet pilote des Presses de l'Université de Montréal/Centre d'édition numérique UdeM (1997-2008) avec l'autorisation de l'auteur.

Professions are characterised by the services they provide and in accounting this includes standard setting. The accounting profession became increasingly involved in the regulation of external financial reporting during the twentieth century by setting standards of accounting practice for its members and entity stakeholders. This narrative analysis of the history of accounting standards in New Zealand focuses on why the accounting profession in New Zealand, as elsewhere in the English-speaking world, assumed the responsibility to draft accounting standards. It argues that accountants did so to maintain their professional status. The New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants was instrumental in creating accounting standards in New Zealand. Cautious to begin with, the Institute soon became a progressive and innovative standard setter, not only developing a conceptual framework for New Zealand standards but also making the standards sector neutral. The Institute retained control of the drafting of accounting standards even when, as happened in the latter decades of the twentieth century, the New Zealand Government became more involved in the standard setting process. Recent changes in the standard setting process, however, such as the development and use of international accounting standards and the creation of statutory bodies to draft and authorise standards raise questions about the accounting profession’s continuing use of standard setting as a mechanism for maintaining professional reputation.

The topic ``Elitism in nursing{\crqq} was chosen based on the author´s interest in this issue, which is considered very attractive, and tributary to the present time, when nursing in our country is undergoing a revolutionary change. Nurses gain new competences and become partners of physicians, new legislature related to the profession comes into effect continuously, there is an effort to enhance the prestige of nurses and thereby to increase their status in the eyes of both the medical and general public. As mentioned above, the entire field of nursing, the nursing education system and the nursing profession in our country has been undergoing a fundamental transformation for some time, which places high demands on information, lifelong learning, free access to the latest information on the course of events not only in our country but especially on the international professional scene. Nursing is a field that has multiple layers - from basic nursing care, which is within the competence of nurses, to a specialized nursing and superspecialized care, which requires thanks to advances in nursing science the highest possible level of education. To define the elite of the nursing profession, it is necessary to specify the elite as an exclusive social group. Through this study the author tried to describe the issue of elitism in nursing in a comprehensive form. The objective was to briefly characterize the current situation in terms of the relationship between different groups of nurses and also debate over the question: "What does it take to be a nurse?" Is it the knowledge of an intricate technique or empathic wiping sweat from a patient´s forehead? The new century makes the nurse think about the concept of extended roles in nursing, which should help elevate social status of the profession. A negative feature is that a nurse has been detracted from the kind of work for which she had become a nurse - the nursing care of a patient and the care of basic biological needs of a patient. Due to this aspect, a lot of nurses believe that enhancing the prestige of the nursing profession is not compatible with the term ``menial{\crqq} job relating to nursing. The research outcomes showed that in Czech nursing, there is a status called elitism, and that there are disciplines perceived as exclusive, the relationship between professionalization and elitism was also proved. The research survey noted a big shift in improving communication between nurses and patients compared to the past years, and the author hopes that also a better communication between nurses will contribute to the improvement of relations on both sides, both the exclusive and the so-called common, because a truly elite - exceptional nurse is the one who combines education with a good character.

The professional identity of career practitioners in the UK has become increasingly challenged in recent decades due to the influence of government policy and the dominance of work-based qualifications. Privatisation, multi-professional working and workforce realignment have all contributed to a reshaping of the career guidance professional. This research examines the views of a group of practitioners all undertaking continuing professional development (CPD) in the form of a postgraduate award. The participants were all UK based practitioners working in a career related role; all were either currently on programme, had completed or stepped off with an interim award within a masters programme. The research explored practitioners’ views at a time of significant upheaval, of themselves as professionals, their professional identity and the extent to which postgraduate CPD contributed to this. The research utilised a case study approach employing document analysis, questionnaire, in-depth interviews and narrative biographies. These tools were specifically selected to enable sequential analysis of data allowing findings from each stage to be rigorously tested out by the next research tool. Applications from potential students were initially analysed helping to establish motivation for undertaking a programme of this type, an on-line survey explored practitioners views of themselves as professionals, motivation for postgraduate study and potential outcomes for themselves, their organisation and their profession. In-depth interviews and narrative biographies provided a voice allowing participants to explore their personal journey with their studies and how this engagement contributed to the establishment, maintenance or enhancement of their practitioner professional identity. Continuing professional development was classified as consisting of three types, operational, experiential and formal. Findings suggested participants predominantly valued formal CPD with operational being perceived as only meeting employer contractual compliance. Postgraduate level CPD contributed to professional identity through engagement with reflection, theory, policy and academic study. Ethics and client focus were central to the professional identity of the career practitioner. Postgraduate study was perceived to empower practitioners and to contribute to the professionalisation of the sector and give parity with other public sector professions. The research contributes to both the limited body of knowledge addressing professional identity within the career guidance context and discourse addressing professionalisation of new professions. It offers a shared professional perspective that can inform the evolving policy debate aiming to professionalise the career and allied workforces. The research offers a unique insight into a profession in transition and the voice of practitioners who have experienced successive waves of government policy, which has been often internalised as de-professionalisation.

In recent years the state of youth work, and more specifically the professional youth worker, has been on the forefront of discussion and concern in South Africa and has been the focus of the Presidency, the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA), the Commonwealth, and select South African universities. Statistics (Stats SA 2011) discloses that more than 58.5% of the South African population are youth that is aged 1 through 35 (National Youth Policy of South Africa 2008:11) and is, therefore, an important area of interest. In a similar manner, there is increasing discussion and concern in the area of youth ministry in the church. In utilising a case study of the Baptist Union of Southern Africa (BUSA), it is reflected at the annual assembly of churches and its publications that indeed there is an ever increasing concern regarding its youth. The concern for the youth ministry centres on the efficacy of this area of ministry as we observe the exodus of youth from the local church. This particular study has its focus on the youth ministry and specifically the topic of the office of the career youth pastor in an attempt to address the concern of effective ministry to youth as well as addressing the concern of the professional youth worker. This research posits that there is no clear and intentional theological articulation for the office of the career youth pastor. Furthermore, the study will inquire how the office of the career youth pastor will address the problem regarding the professional youth worker as well as an effective ministry to and with youth in the church. This research, therefore, will endeavour to address the theological basis for the call and vocation of the career youth pastor, the cultural as well as the developmental needs of youth in supporting the notion for the career youth pastor, and the purpose of the career youth pastor, by reflecting on the practices and normative texts of the BUSA as a case study through the empirical research of qualitative interviewing. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2016. / Practical Theology / PhD / Unrestricted

This research study deals mainly with the educator professionalisation in the post democratic South Africa, paying attention to the role of a professional council in promoting educator professionalism. The status and image of teaching in this country seem to have been viewed From the racial and cultural differences of communities previously. The democratic dispensation brought an end to this unfair racial and cultural discrimination in the education system through the establishment of a non-racial professional council for educators (i.e. SACE). The research aims are to determine: - The characteristics of a professions and those needed for educator professionalism; and - the role of the a professional council in promoting educator professionalisation. In order to attain the above-mentioned research aims, a literature review and an empirical investigation were undertaken. The literature study was used to clarify concepts such as occupation, semi-profession, profession, professionalisation and professional status. Secondly, characteristics or common features associated with traditional models of professions (ie. accounting, law and medicine) were discussed from a theoretical point of view. Lastly, the literature study highlighted the establishment of professional councils for educators in other parts of the world, including South Africa. The different forms of legislation and policy documents applicable in education were discussed. In order to determine the extent to which teaching adheres to or fulfils the characteristics associated with a profession, teaching was tested against these characteristics. The history of the establishment of SACE was briefly discussed and the objectives or role of this organisation in educator professionalisation concluded this chapter. The empirical research was conducted by using the questionnaire as a measuring instrument. The advantages and disadvantages of the questionnaire as measuring instrument were highlighted. The target population comprises of 239 educators from a total population of 2070 educators in Lejweleputswa and Northern Free State Education Districts -Free State Province. The data collected in the investigation was processed through the SAS computer package to establish frequencies and percentages of responses mean scores ranking, t-test procedures and the effect sizes. The results were then presented tables, analysed and interpreted in accordance with the literature study. The literature study revealed that like all other occupations, teaching aspires to attain recognition and status as a profession. It was also revealed that teaching partially satisfy characteristics associated with professions. The empirical study revealed that the employment of un- or under qualified educators is still prevalent in South African schools. In the last chapter, Chapter 5, conclusions from the literature review and empirical investigation were drawn. The recommendations with regard to the role of SACE in educator professionalisation were provided. Finally based on the research, future research studies in SACE and educator professionalism were recommended. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2006.