Book excerpt: "This book examines the subject of school leadership as a profession. It tackles questions of what it means to be professional and to work within a profession, and how school leadership fits within these definitions. The book analyses five areas which in the sociology of professions are considered important for an occupation to qualify as a profession: knowledge base, education and training, ethics, working conditions, and formation of a professional identity. Based on these criteria, the book offers a comprehensive analysis into a sociological definition of the professional status of school leadership. The authors argue that school leadership is an emerging profession characterised by development and efforts across different areas. Contributing to the discussion and theorisation of professionalisation, this book will be valuable reading for scholars, researchers and students in the field of educational leadership and educational policy"--