Introduction

This book aims at offering a novel understanding of the reasons behind the crisis of the professional identity occurring at the individual level. Such reasons are often neglected, leaving much more space to the analysis of identity at the organizational and contextual levels.

Conversely, we contend that full comprehension of the dynamics taking place is now paramount from the individual perspective.

On these grounds, the book proposes an analysis of the factors affecting professional identity and image from both an internal and external standpoint, and the possible strategies and behaviours fostered by professionals to cope with the social view of their professions and to respond to the threats and uncertainties featuring their contexts.