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Abstract
This thesis maintains that, far from being politically impartial bodies, as professional associations might suggest, professions as a whole are resolutely influenced in their activities by the political will of the times. At the beginning of the third millennium, this ‘will’ is described as neocorporatism, an ideology based on corporate structure and third sector co-governance.
The research highlights the interrelationships between professions and ideology. A case study of the Canadian Institute of Planners - CIP - demonstrates how this neocorporatist philosophy is having an impact on its power and legitimacy and, ultimately, its effect within Canadian society.
An historical review demonstrates how the Canadian Institute of Planners has reacted to and reflected state ideology throughout its history. It is clear that the organisation has been in a submissive relationship with the state until recently, where we see the balance of power starting to shift. The CIP is currently reorganising itself to better integrate with the state and improve its government relations. Documentation tracks the CIP’s participation in national policy processes and shows that it is, in fact, becoming significantly more involved in policy-making through various federal government consultation and partnership initiatives.
The Canadian Institute of Planners seems to rely solely on practical conjecture to inform its operational choices. My hermeneutical discourse analysis uses existing theory and empirical information to advance our understanding of the CIP and by implication, professions in general. This enlightenment can help direct the organisation’s strategy within the neocorporate state apparatus and, ultimately, enable it to gain power, legitimacy and greater influence within Canada’s policy- and decision-making spheres.