“Professions and capitalism“
Sida Liu
in Tracey L. Adams (ed), Research Handbook on the Sociology of the Professions (Edward Elgar Publishing, December 2025), Chapter 3, pp. 35 – 47
Published online: December 2025
Abstract: This chapter investigates the historical and contemporary interplay between the evolution of professions and the transformation of capitalism. Although not all professions originate from capitalism, the social structures and cultural practices of modern professions have been significantly influenced by capitalist imperatives. Historically autonomous professions, such as law and medicine, have evolved to support corporate organizations and industrial systems. As capitalism advances, professions have taken on increasingly important roles, fulfilling three pivotal functions. First, they provide the expertise essential for the functioning of capitalist institutions. Second, they legitimize capitalism by generating and disseminating academic knowledge and specialized practices throughout society. Third, professions nurture seeds of resistance to capitalism by fostering practitioners who advocate for alternative ideologies and institutions. Consequently, the relationship between professions and capitalism is symbiotic and mutually constitutive: capitalism underpins the institutions and ethics of professions, which in turn facilitate the operation and perpetuation of capitalist economies.