pp. 499-524

Declaring an activity can in itself be a problem if that activity does not belong to the occupational regime of employment, career or profession, but to that of a vocation, as is the case for writers. This article is an attempt to explain the reasons why self declaration of a profession can cause so many problems for a writer. The article deals with the parameters which go to form a professional identity as it is seen and developed by the subjects : a personal representation formed by the professional declaration as well as the designation made by other people and how it is perceived by the subject. This research is both part of a sociology on the artistic profession and of a sociology on identity which means that this notion can be given firm signification and may thus be used by social sciences.