America's Culture of Professionalism ― Past, Present, and Prospects

The culture of professionalism has become so dominant in American life that, ironically, it has become invisible to most people. Professionalism has become something of an ideology, beyond the realm of rethinking, and 'acting professionally' has become an unquestioned standard of conduct. This book seeks to make visible such a culture that deserves serious reconsideration by researchers, professors, students, and educated general readers. Brown's research and examination in America's Culture of Professionalism covers both the academic world – the 'home office' of professionalism – and the social dimensions of problem solving in the public world.

David Warfield Brown has experienced the professional world from several vantage points: as a lawyer on Wall Street; chief-of-staff on Capitol Hill; state commissioner in New York; deputy mayor of New York City; public authority board member; professor at Yale University and The New School; and president of Blackburn College. He is the author of When Strangers Cooperate (1995), Organization Smarts (2002), and The Real Change-Makers (2012). He is the ongoing coeditor of the Higher Education Exchange, an annual publication of the Kettering Foundation. His primary research interest is the social dimensions of problem solving.