Compositions of professionalism in counselling work: An embodied and embedded intersectionality framework

Adamson, M. and Johansson, M. (2016) Compositions of professionalism in counselling work: An embodied and embedded intersectionality framework. Human Relations, 69(12), pp. 2201-2223. (doi: 10.1177/0018726716639118)

Abstract

This article explores the embodied compositions of professionalism in the context of the counselling psychology profession in Russia. Specifically, we develop an embodied intersectionality framework for theorizing compositions of professionalism, which allows us to explain how multiple embodied categories of difference intersect and are relationally co-constitutive in producing credible professionals, and, importantly, how these intersections are contingent on intercorporeal encounters that take place in localized professional settings. Our exploration of how professionalism and professional credibility are established in Russian counselling shows that, rather than assuming that a hegemonic ‘ideal body’ is given preference in a professional context, different embodied compositions may be deemed credible in various work settings within the same profession. An embodied intersectionality framework allows us to challenge the notion of a single professional ideal and offer a dynamic and contextually situated analysis of the lived experiences of professional privilege and disadvantage.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Johansson, Dr Marjana
• Authors: Adamson, M., and Johansson, M.
• College/School: College of Social Sciences > Adam Smith Business School > Management
• Journal Name: Human Relations
• Publisher: SAGE
• ISSN: 0018-7267
• ISSN (Online): 1741-282X
• Published Online: 04 May 2016
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2017 The Authors
• First Published: First published in Human Relations 69(12):2201-2223
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons License