Oliver Reichenstein at Information Architects Japan seems to define the UX field as the generalist discipline I have been advocating.
Can’t say I’m necessarily inclined to disagree, but many of the UX professionals have a skillset in alignment with information architecture, which is more design-focused. In order to truly be at the center of the process, the person negotiating these concerns needs a background in all of them.
Still, in the end, Oliver takes a pragmatic approach:
On the other side, whether you perceive a job as dull or fun largely depends on your character. Some people love organizing, others, like me, love to create chaos. Some people, for instance, actually hate to think, and that doesn’t mean that they’re necessarily stupid. The trick is to create teams where everyone does what they like most. Making work fun seems to be the same challenge as making different people work together.