Industry? Discipline? Field? Profession?

Are exhibitions an “industry?”

Or a “discipline?”

Hm. Maybe a “field?”

Wait, how about a “profession?”

This is a head-scratcher I’ve heard many times, and again just recently (a pattern that frequently triggers MtM articles). To tackle it, here’s a special edition of our latest new feature.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

MtM Words of the Day:

Industry. A group of companies forming an economic sector, with related business activities. There is a “museum industry” but not a “museum exhibition industry” really. (There is an “exhibitions industry” but it’s trade shows.)

Discipline. A specific branch of knowledge studied academically. We do have a small number of related graduate programs, so this word does apply.

Field. An area of expertise within a discipline. For example, exhibition writing is a field within exhibitions.

Profession. A specific career, with recognized skills and ethical standards. “Exhibitions” isn’t a profession. But “exhibition designer” could be.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

For example, I could be a “design professional” in the “museum industry” specializing in the “exhibition design field” within the “exhibition discipline.”

Wait, I actually am that.

Here’s the thing:
The words industry, discipline, field and profession do all apply to parts of our world, just not all in the same way.

Warmly,
Jonathan

P.S. Hat tip to readers A.H. and B.C. for reminding me about this evergreen head-scratcher.