America’s Culture of Professionalism

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xii

   PDF

2. Introduction

   1. Introduction

      • David Warfield Brown

      Pages 1-5

3. The Culture of Professionalism

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 7-7

      PDF

   2. Knowledge as Property

      • David Warfield Brown

      Pages 9-28

   3. “Thriving on Ignorance”

      • David Warfield Brown

      Pages 29-55

   4. Self-Serving Professionals

      • David Warfield Brown

      Pages 57-80

4. Culture Change?

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 81-81

      PDF

   2. Nobody’s Property

      • David Warfield Brown

      Pages 83-105

   3. Everybody Counts

      • David Warfield Brown

      Pages 107-130

   4. Nurturing Others’ Capacities

      • David Warfield Brown

      Pages 131-150

5. Back Matter

   Pages 151-195

   PDF

America's Culture of Professionalism proves an emerging culture of interdependence is possible if and when enough professionals and laypersons refashion their roles and relationships having both something to contribute and something to learn from each other.

"A vigorous argument urging rethinking the relation of expertise or professionalism and democracy, including the human and political resources of local communities."

-Thomas Bender, University Professor of the Humanities and Professor of History, New York University

"Many of us are training students for lives as professionals without much thought as to what that means for them or society. David Brown unpacks the history, cultural assumptions, and misplaced thinking that currently shapes the professions. In doing so, he develops a new way of preparing students as future professionals who might lead more meaningful lives in ways that contribute to the creation of healthy communities and broader societal goals."

-Adam Weinberg, President, Dennison University

"David Brown understands that the professional power of academe is the result of commodifying knowledge so that it can become a scarce resource. This professional idea is a contradiction in a democratic society where the abundance of knowledge is necessary to inform citizen action. In this unusual book, Brown outlines practices that reconcile coded knowledge and community knowing. It is wonderful guide for academics who wish to explore their place in the terrain of democracy."

-John McKnight, Professor (Emeritus), Communication Studies, Northwestern University

David Warfield Brown is an independent contractor Editor and Consultant for The Kettering Foundation, USA.

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