11.1.5 The Professional Culture Every profession develops a special kind of group culture Which plays an important role in professional life. One component OF this professional culture concerns views on the value and the importance of profession. Professionals feel that they are providing some ver valuable service to the society, without which the quality of life would be very much poorer. They have a sense of belonging to an honourable and dignified group. This sense of belonging, logether with the sense of professional power, provides a strong Cohesive force to the members of the profession. This cohesiveness is further strengthened by professional societies. They serve a number of functions : as a platform for sharing technical advances in the field; for discussing matters of common interest to the profession; for raising collective voice to influence government Policies; for resolving intra-professional conflicts; for deciding norms of professional service, and for formulating and enforcing code of professional ethics. Another component of professional culture is the elaborate and often complicated, system of inter-group relationships, role definitions, behavioural norms and etiquettes. There are ways of acquiring and dealing with clients; of referrals to, and consultations with, fellow professionals; of relating with seniors and juniors; of mentoring a protégé, etc. A newcomer to the profession has to carefully imbibe this culture for securing professional success and career advancement. Scanned with CamScan