In this article, we utilize national survey data to assess the professional status of full-time sociology faculty in community colleges. Traditionally, sociologists have argued that for a particular type of work to be conceptualized as a profession, it must meet certain criteria, such as: esoteric knowledge and skills, high levels of workplace autonomy, considerable authority, and a sense of altruism. More current approaches to professionalization place greater emphasis on how the social structural location and organizational features of a particular group affect their claims to professional status. We apply both the “traits” and “process models” of professions. We argue that in spite of significant structural barriers, community college sociologists do function as a professional group. This has significant implications for faculty, their students, and the discipline of sociology.
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