20th December 2004, 03:12 PM
A true profession would have a true professional governing body who would govern professionals professionally.... I think.
Unfortunately a closer parallel than between archeology and the professions is between contacting archaeology the construction industry, than with the professions. That is, a construction firm maintains a small permanent management staff, and perhaps a handful of site managers, as salaries staff, and site personnel are all subcontracted for individual jobs. Some labourers and semi-skilled staff wil be hired via agencies for specific sites. All non-management staff will be laid off at the end of the job and of course at Christmas... sound familiar? Contracts are won by competetive tender, cheapest wins whatever "quality markers" or other buzzwords are bandied about from time to time.
A professional will always give the best possible impartial advice to the client but will always act to the wider and greater good, even when that goes against the client's interest of that of the professional concerned.
Unfortunately a closer parallel than between archeology and the professions is between contacting archaeology the construction industry, than with the professions. That is, a construction firm maintains a small permanent management staff, and perhaps a handful of site managers, as salaries staff, and site personnel are all subcontracted for individual jobs. Some labourers and semi-skilled staff wil be hired via agencies for specific sites. All non-management staff will be laid off at the end of the job and of course at Christmas... sound familiar? Contracts are won by competetive tender, cheapest wins whatever "quality markers" or other buzzwords are bandied about from time to time.
A professional will always give the best possible impartial advice to the client but will always act to the wider and greater good, even when that goes against the client's interest of that of the professional concerned.