“Always an Imam”: Understanding the Occupation of Imam from Theoretical Perspectives on Professions
Abstract
Published in Religions (15/12, 2024, open access), this article by Noemi Trucco and Asmaa Dehbi examines the occupation of the imam through the lens of the sociology of professions.
In this article, the occupation of the imam is analysed using a profession-theoretical approach. Following Oevermann, professionalised action is understood as a relational practice characterised by a paradoxical unity of diffuseness and specificity. Drawing on empirical data on imams in Switzerland, the authors highlight several factors that shift the relationship between professionals and those they serve towards greater diffuseness: task-specific boundaries blur, and temporal and spatial limits break down. These factors help explain why imams in Switzerland report feeling stressed and overburdened. The authors argue that the role of the imam can, in principle, be conceptualised as a profession; yet, from the perspective of a power approach to professions, the concept applies only to a limited extent, since the occupation is not universal but remains reserved for men.
Résumé
Paru sous le titre « Always an Imam »: Understanding the Occupation of Imam from Theoretical Perspectives on Professions (Religions, 15/12, 2024, en accès libre), cet article de Noemi Trucco et Asmaa Dehbi analyse le métier d’imam à partir d’une approche théorique des professions.
Dans le sillage d’Oevermann, les auteures conçoivent l’action professionnalisée comme une pratique relationnelle, marquée par une unité paradoxale entre diffus et spécifique. À partir de données empiriques recueillies auprès d’imams exerçant en Suisse, elles mettent en évidence plusieurs facteurs qui déplacent la relation entre le professionnel et ceux qu’il accompagne vers davantage d’indétermination : les frontières propres à chaque tâche se brouillent, les limites temporelles et spatiales se dissolvent. Ces facteurs éclairent le sentiment de surcharge et de stress rapporté par les imams en Suisse. Les auteures soutiennent que le rôle d’imam peut, en principe, être conçu comme une profession ; mais, du point de vue d’une approche en termes de pouvoir, cette qualification ne s’applique que de façon limitée, car le métier n’est pas universel : il demeure réservé aux hommes.
الملخّص
نُشرت هذه المقالة في مجلّة Religions (العدد 15/12، 2024، بالوصول المفتوح)، وهي بقلم نويمي تروكو وأسماء دهبي، وتتناول مهنة الإمام في ضوء سوسيولوجيا المهن.
تحلّل الباحثتان مهنة الإمام انطلاقًا من مقاربةٍ نظريّةٍ للمهن. وعلى خطى أوفرمان، تنظران إلى الفعل المهنيّ بوصفه ممارسةً علائقيّةً تتّسم بوحدةٍ متناقضةٍ بين عدم التحديد والتخصّص. واستنادًا إلى معطياتٍ ميدانيّةٍ عن الأئمّة في سويسرا، تُبرزان جملةً من العوامل التي تدفع العلاقة بين المهنيّ ومن يرعاهم نحو مزيدٍ من عدم التحديد، إذ تتلاشى حدود المهامّ وتنهار القيود الزمانيّة والمكانيّة. وهذه العوامل تُفسّر ما يبلّغ عنه الأئمّة في سويسرا من إرهاقٍ وثقلٍ في الأعباء. وتذهب الباحثتان إلى أنّ دور الإمام يمكن، من حيث المبدأ، أن يُفهَم بوصفه مهنةً؛ غير أنّ هذا المفهوم، من منظور مقاربةٍ قائمةٍ على السلطة، لا ينطبق عليه إلّا انطباقًا محدودًا، لأنّ المهنة ليست كونيّةً بل تظلّ حكرًا على الرجال.
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