▁been ▁called ▁cred ential ism , ▁a ▁reli ance ▁on ▁formal ▁qual ifications ▁or ▁cert ifications ▁to ▁determine ▁whether ▁someone ▁is ▁permitted ▁to ▁undert ake ▁a ▁task ▁or ▁to ▁speak ▁as ▁an ▁expert . ▁It ▁has ▁also ▁been ▁defined ▁as ▁" ex cess ive ▁reli ance ▁on ▁credentials , ▁especially ▁academic ▁degrees , ▁in ▁determ ining ▁h iring ▁or ▁promotion ▁policies ." . ▁It ▁has ▁been ▁further ▁defined ▁as ▁where ▁the ▁credentials ▁for ▁a ▁job ▁or ▁a ▁position ▁are ▁upgrad ed , ▁even ▁though , ▁there ▁is ▁no ▁skill ▁change ▁that ▁makes ▁this ▁increase ▁necessary ▁▁ ▁Prof essions ▁also ▁possess ▁power , ▁prest ige , ▁high ▁income , ▁high ▁social ▁status ▁and ▁privileges ; ▁their ▁members ▁soon ▁come ▁to ▁compr ise ▁an ▁el ite ▁class ▁of ▁people , ▁cut ▁off ▁to ▁some ▁extent ▁from ▁the ▁common ▁people , ▁and ▁occup ying ▁an ▁elev ated ▁station ▁in ▁society : ▁" a ▁narrow ▁el ite ▁... ▁a ▁hier arch ical ▁social ▁system : ▁a ▁system ▁of ▁ranked ▁orders ▁and ▁classes ." ▁ ▁The ▁professional ization ▁process ▁tends ▁to ▁establish ▁the ▁group ▁norm s ▁of ▁conduct ▁and ▁qual ification ▁of ▁members ▁of ▁a ▁profession ▁and ▁tends ▁also ▁to ▁ins ist ▁that ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁profession ▁achieve ▁" con form ity ▁to ▁the ▁norm ." ▁and ▁ab ide ▁more ▁or ▁less ▁strictly ▁with ▁the ▁established ▁procedures ▁and ▁any ▁agreed ▁code ▁of ▁conduct , ▁which ▁is ▁pol iced ▁by ▁professional ▁bodies , ▁for ▁" ac cred itation ▁ass ures ▁conform ity ▁to ▁general ▁expect ations ▁of ▁the ▁profession