De la reconnaissance mutuelle et publique des professionnelsde la communication
Résumé
On mutual and public recognition of the professional communicators
This contribution aims to examine how professional communicators seek recognition in different segments and areas of practice and performance. We know how functionalist sociology, particularly in north america, is attentive to the way professionals build legitimacy and competitively position themselves. in short, the "professional" depends largely on extensive training culminating in certification, but must also rely on the protection - at least symbolically - of corporatist organizations (associations and unions), which help formalize professional ethics. Our goal here is not to interpret these markers as exclusive and unambiguous tokens of professionalism, but very differently, to interpret them as signs of professionalization understood as the process of permanent negotiation between "segments" of the profession. the deontic apparatus, which serves the professionalization within the multiplicity of jobs in sectors, fields and multiple functions, also builds the recognition of associations, unions and other representatives who claim legitimacy. Beyond the deontic documentary corpus of professional codes, references, charts and other events, we want to discuss (and confront) how professional groups contribute to regulate their internal and external professions and reference functions.this research is part of an international program led from within French-speaking Belgium, France and Canada. Conduct in partnership with communication practitioners, this contribution invites engagement in the dynamic analysis of a professionalization disputed by many professional representative bodies in different rhetorical modes (legal, ethical, activist, casuistry, etc.,) and services offered to business (publishing, events, training, consulting, etc). The first phase of the research is to update the dynamic positioning of professional associations who take and/or claim an interest in the structuring and the development of activities, functions, occupations or skills in the field of communication. We will defend the hypothesis that the forms of engagement and action in the sphere of professional associations vary according to their interpretation (through their representatives and spokesmen) of what is commonly called professionalization. It will therefore abandon - temporarily - the definitions and analytical frameworks of professionalism as forged (Chapoulie, 1973 ; abbot, 1988) and evolved (Strauss, 1992; Dubar & tripier, 1998 ; Champy, 2011) by the sociology of professions, to let emerge the various figures or representations that complement or oppose the speech of the representative associations at the national level of specialized players in communication.the methodology of this phase of the research is based on a qualitative field investigation with protocol common to researchers in the three countries involved. Four main fields of intervention of professional communicators were selected for the exploratory stage : 1) public relations and corporate communications ; 2) public communication and territorial communication ; 3) internal communication and social communication ; 4) and marketing communication. From a group of professional associations identified in these segments (thirty French, Belgian and Quebec national associations in total), fifteen in-depth interviews lasting one to two hours each were conducted in pairs of researchers, with sitting presidents, former presidents and general secretaries, on the basis of a semi-structured framework guiding exchanges. Four themes were explored : 1) the rationale, reasons for positioning changes and evolutions of the associations ; 2) perceived issues and terms of engagement of the association in the professionalization of their members ; 3) the relationship, expected or not, with those involved in the production and dissemination of knowledge in iCt ; and 4) both personal and institutional trajectories of the representatives of associations, as well as their involvement with regard to mutual and public recognition of group members. this phase of investigation, still being deployed in Spring 2012, involves the contribution of nearly fifteen Belgian, French and Canadian faculty members and a doctoral student, mostly in iCt but also in political science and sociology.The first results of analysis show the variety, the diversity of conceptions around professionalization, as well as the terms or variables involved. We will outline a typology of organizations based on different representations that can be both polarized towards the mastery of knowledge and a figure of the expert capable of mobilizing specific skills in daily communication, as the construction of a position supported by ethical ideals of integrity, neutrality and embodied in a moral figure of the professional. Performed in the speeches of presidents and association spokesmen, these significant figures and representations help orient initiatives to support or guide professionals through the services provided to them, and also influence the policies and more institutional commitments in the fight for recognition. it is noteworthy, that there are rarely unions in communication, even though they would advocate explicitly for the same occupational group. Knowing that the communication professions are multiple and irreducible to one branch of economic, social or cultural activity, this perhaps indicates incomplete professionalization.
This contribution aims to examine how professional communicators seek recognition in different segments and areas of practice and performance. We know how functionalist sociology, particularly in north america, is attentive to the way professionals build legitimacy and competitively position themselves. in short, the "professional" depends largely on extensive training culminating in certification, but must also rely on the protection - at least symbolically - of corporatist organizations (associations and unions), which help formalize professional ethics. Our goal here is not to interpret these markers as exclusive and unambiguous tokens of professionalism, but very differently, to interpret them as signs of professionalization understood as the process of permanent negotiation between "segments" of the profession. the deontic apparatus, which serves the professionalization within the multiplicity of jobs in sectors, fields and multiple functions, also builds the recognition of associations, unions and other representatives who claim legitimacy. Beyond the deontic documentary corpus of professional codes, references, charts and other events, we want to discuss (and confront) how professional groups contribute to regulate their internal and external professions and reference functions.this research is part of an international program led from within French-speaking Belgium, France and Canada. Conduct in partnership with communication practitioners, this contribution invites engagement in the dynamic analysis of a professionalization disputed by many professional representative bodies in different rhetorical modes (legal, ethical, activist, casuistry, etc.,) and services offered to business (publishing, events, training, consulting, etc). The first phase of the research is to update the dynamic positioning of professional associations who take and/or claim an interest in the structuring and the development of activities, functions, occupations or skills in the field of communication. We will defend the hypothesis that the forms of engagement and action in the sphere of professional associations vary according to their interpretation (through their representatives and spokesmen) of what is commonly called professionalization. It will therefore abandon - temporarily - the definitions and analytical frameworks of professionalism as forged (Chapoulie, 1973 ; abbot, 1988) and evolved (Strauss, 1992; Dubar & tripier, 1998 ; Champy, 2011) by the sociology of professions, to let emerge the various figures or representations that complement or oppose the speech of the representative associations at the national level of specialized players in communication.the methodology of this phase of the research is based on a qualitative field investigation with protocol common to researchers in the three countries involved. Four main fields of intervention of professional communicators were selected for the exploratory stage : 1) public relations and corporate communications ; 2) public communication and territorial communication ; 3) internal communication and social communication ; 4) and marketing communication. From a group of professional associations identified in these segments (thirty French, Belgian and Quebec national associations in total), fifteen in-depth interviews lasting one to two hours each were conducted in pairs of researchers, with sitting presidents, former presidents and general secretaries, on the basis of a semi-structured framework guiding exchanges. Four themes were explored : 1) the rationale, reasons for positioning changes and evolutions of the associations ; 2) perceived issues and terms of engagement of the association in the professionalization of their members ; 3) the relationship, expected or not, with those involved in the production and dissemination of knowledge in iCt ; and 4) both personal and institutional trajectories of the representatives of associations, as well as their involvement with regard to mutual and public recognition of group members. this phase of investigation, still being deployed in Spring 2012, involves the contribution of nearly fifteen Belgian, French and Canadian faculty members and a doctoral student, mostly in iCt but also in political science and sociology.The first results of analysis show the variety, the diversity of conceptions around professionalization, as well as the terms or variables involved. We will outline a typology of organizations based on different representations that can be both polarized towards the mastery of knowledge and a figure of the expert capable of mobilizing specific skills in daily communication, as the construction of a position supported by ethical ideals of integrity, neutrality and embodied in a moral figure of the professional. Performed in the speeches of presidents and association spokesmen, these significant figures and representations help orient initiatives to support or guide professionals through the services provided to them, and also influence the policies and more institutional commitments in the fight for recognition. it is noteworthy, that there are rarely unions in communication, even though they would advocate explicitly for the same occupational group. Knowing that the communication professions are multiple and irreducible to one branch of economic, social or cultural activity, this perhaps indicates incomplete professionalization.
Cette recherche s'inscrit dans le cadre d'un programme collectif et international mené dans l'espace francophone commun à la Belgique, à la France et au Canada. Fondée aussi collectivement dans une démarche partenariale orientée vers les praticiens de la communication, cette contribution constitue une invitation à engager l'analyse dynamique d'une professionnalisation disputée par de multiples instances représentatives, sur différents modes rhétoriques (juridique, déontologique, militant, casuistique...) et de services proposés aux professionnels (édition, événements, formation, conseil...). la première phase de la recherche vise à mettre à jour les dynamiques de positionnement des associations professionnelles qui assument et/ou revendiquent une participation dans la structuration et le développement des activités, des fonctions, des métiers ou encore des compétences dans le champ de la communication. nous défendrons l'hypothèse que les formes d'engagement et d'action dans la sphère professionnelle de ces acteurs associatifs varient en fonction de l'interprétation que chacune des associations (à travers leurs représentants et porte-paroles) a de ce qu'on nomme communément la professionnalisation. il s'agira donc renoncer - provisoirement - aux définitions ou cadres d'analyse de la professionnalisation a priori tels que la sociologie des professions les a forgés (Chapoulié, 1973 ; abbot, 1988) et fait évoluer (Strauss, 1992 ; Dubar & tripier, 1998 ; Champy, 2011) pour laisser émerger les différentes figures ou représentations qui se complètent ou s'opposent dans les discours des associations représentatives au plan national des acteurs spécialisés dans la communication.Cette contribution vise à interroger la manière dont les communicants (ceux qui font métier de communiquer) travaillent à leur reconnaissance professionnelle, dans la diversité de leurs segments et territoires d'exercice et de représentation. on sait combien la sociologie fonctionnaliste, en particulier nord-américaine, est attentive à la manière dont les professionnels construisent leur légitimité et leur positionnement concurrentiel. en bref, le " professionnel " prend notamment appui sur une formation longue, sanctionnée par une certification, mais doit aussi compter sur la protection -- au moins symbolique -- d'organisations corporatistes (associations et syndicats) dont certaines œuvrent à la formalisation déontologique d'une éthique professionnelle. notre objectif n'est pas ici d'interpréter ces marqueurs de profession comme les gages exclusifs et univoques d'une professionnalité mais, très différemment, de les interpréter comme indices d'une professionnalisation entendue comme processus de négociation permanente entre " segments " de la profession. l'appareillage déontique qui sert une professionnalisation aux prises avec la multiplicité de métiers relevant de secteurs, champs et fonctions multiples, sert également la reconnaissance des associations, syndicats et autres représentants qui revendiquent leur légitimité de porte-parole. Par-delà le corpus documentaire déontique constitué de codes professionnels, référentiels, chartes et autres manifestes, nous souhaitons discuter (et faire discuter) ici la manière dont des regroupements professionnels contribuent à une régulation interne et externe de leurs métiers et fonctions de référence.la méthodologie de cette phase de la recherche repose sur un terrain d'enquête qualitative dont le protocole est commun aux chercheurs des trois pays impliqués. Quatre grands segments et champs professionnels d'intervention des communicants ont été retenus pour l'étape exploratoire : 1) les relations publiques et la communication institutionnelle, la communication publique et communication territoriale ; 2) la communication interne, la communication marketing. a partir d'un tissu associatif professionnel identifié dans ces segments (une trentaine d'associations nationales françaises, québécoises et belges au total) une quinzaine d'entretiens approfondis d'une durée d'une à deux heures ont été conduits, en binôme de chercheurs, auprès de présidents en exercice, d'anciens présidents et de secrétaires généraux, sur la base d'un canevas semi directif orientant les échanges. il s'agissait alors d'explorer quatre thématiques : 1) les raisons d'être, motifs de positionnement et d'évolutions des associations ; 2) les enjeux perçus et les modalités d'engagement de l'association dans la professionnalisation de leurs adhérents ; 3) les rapports établis, attendus ou non, avec les acteurs impliqués dans la production et la diffusion de connaissances en SiC ; 4) les trajectoires à la fois personnelles et institutionnelles ainsi que l'implication des représentants associatifs à l'égard de la reconnaissance mutuelle et publique des communicants membres de leur groupement. Cette phase d'enquête, encore en cours de déploiement au printemps 2012, implique la contribution de près d'une quinzaine d'enseignantschercheurs ainsi qu'une doctorante, belges, canadiens et français, majoritairement en SiC mais aussi en sciences politiques et sociologie.les premiers résultats d'analyse mettent en évidence la variété, l'hétérogénéité des conceptions de la professionnalisation et des modalités ou des variables qui y participent. nous esquisserons une typologie des associations fondées sur ces diverses représentations qui peuvent se polariser tantôt du côté de la maîtrise de savoir-faire et d'une figure de l'expert capable de mobiliser des compétences spécifiques dans l'activité quotidienne du communicant, tantôt du côté de la construction d'une posture portée par des idéaux éthiques d'intégrité, de neutralité et incarnée par une figure morale du professionnel. Performées dans les discours des présidents et porte-paroles des associations, ces grandes figures et ces représentations contribuent à orienter les initiatives de soutien ou d'accompagnement des professionnels à travers l'offre de services faite aux adhérents ; elles conditionnent aussi les politiques et les engagements plus institutionnels dans la lutte pour la reconnaissance de la fonction et des métiers de la communication. il est notable, sauf à de très rares exceptions, qu'il n'existe guère de syndicats professionnels en communication, alors même que ce statut confère un rôle explicite de défense des intérêts d'un même groupe professionnel. Sachant que les métiers de la communication sont multiples, irréductibles à une branche d'activité économique, sociale ou culturelle, c'est là, peut-être, un indicateur de professionnalisation inachevée.