I. Introduction This master’s thesis represents study of female newspaper and magazine editors in Azerbaijan based on Western and Soviet definitions of journalism with explanation of local national features of this p

I.2.4 Deprofessionalization and proletarization

The rapid advancement of technology more evident with evolvement of space program in the beginning of 1960s brought prospects that lead many sociology scientists to embrace view that the process of society professionalization is gaining momentum while occupations like blue collar jobs are destined to be pressed out to periphery. The idea behind was that with technology’s evolvement work will require more bureaucratically organized regulations, technical expertise and specific education to manage it while promising higher professional autonomy and social status. However, the euphoria of throughout professionalization perspective did not last long and already in 1969 Marie Haug and Marvin Sussman with their research Professional Autonomy and the Revolt of the Client (Haug, Sussman 1969) focusing on relationship between clients and professionals in the context of social unrest stood in the roots of deprofessionalization studies. According to Haug (1977), professions lose control and status through a commoditization and loss of ownership over the professional body of knowledge.

However, the question of deprofessionalization in journalism carries an inbuilt problem. The collocation gives us a logical incentive that deprofessionalization is a state when professionalism was already achieved and now is in its demise. However, in the previous subchapter we already pointed out, that journalism does not answer all traits of classical profession definition making it a semi-profession at best. To solve this problem Dave Healy (1992) proposes, elaborate in its simplicity solution, to consider process of professionalization a dynamic rather than static process where semi-professions continuously try to reach full professionalization while those well-established professions try to protect it and instead of categories like profession, semi-profession, non profession to use continuum. Professionalization then is a continuum, and deprofessionalization represents movement on that continuum. (Healy 1992:38-39)
According to Raelin (1989) and Keidai Ronshu (2006) deprofessionalization is a process when professional attributes in the course of time loose their values caused by social, economic, demographic or political trends. For example a profession may become deprofessionalized by not sufficiently coping with a decline in the importance and vitality of its services, monopoly over such practices as admission, training and licensing. A profession may also lose mastery over its own knowledge base or when its ethical standards are compromised by self-interest or narrowly vested group of interests (Toren, 1975).
Another negative trend often mentioned, especially in the post-Soviet context (Pasti 2007) in combination with deprofessionalization is proletarization of journalism. Proletarization can be defined as a process where professionals become subject to new forms of control eroding their status as professionals (Haug, 1973). It occurs mainly due to financial instability when professionals are pushed to work with non-professionals and gradually loose distinction between professional and non-professional. (Valiyev 2008)
Yet, in 1984 Eliot Freidson in his article “The Changing Nature of Professional Control” examined Haug’s deprofessionalization and proletarianization theses and argued that it is not correct since professions were able to keep their autonomy and status and in society by promotion of legal supporting and governing structures in a form of organizations. (Freidson 1984: 1-22) In Haug’s defense it is necessary to point out one important aspect: Freidson reviewed only professional organizations in fully established professions not focusing on individual “professionals” like for example journalists.
In order to examine these two issues in the context of a post-Soviet country it is necessary to review case of the Czech Republic. An elaborate research “Czech Journalist” co-authored by Jaromir Volek and Jan Jirak provide solid data suggesting that the process of deprofessionalization and proletarization of Czech journalists is directly connected to diminishment of professional standards and lowering of the bar to enter journalism caused by a massive exodus of experienced journalists after “the velvet revolution” in the first half of 1990s. (Valiyev 2008)
A new generation of professionally untutored and easily-manipulated journalists - beginners appeared and the middle generation disappeared. This trend was especially significant in local and regional media where we identified the strongest effects of proletarization (Volek 2007). Journalists working here are not only less educated but they are overtaxed and their average income is under average income of whole population. Last but not least they have no support of professional organizations and trade unions which have low socio-political status and very weak respect among journalist (ibid).

Thus, in case of this ex-Warsaw pact country it is obvious that journalists are affected by negative trends of deprofessionalization and proletarization. The disillusionment in the selected career choice is inflicted by heavy pressure of consumerism and marketing logic that causes loss of professional autonomy (Volek, 2008).