Personalisation in social work : a comparative study of the professional socialisation of social work students in a university and technical college training course

• Main Author: Heraud, Brian Jeremy
• Published: Royal Holloway, University of London 1972
• Subjects: 361.3; Social Work
• Online Access: http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.704210

The processes of professionalisation and professional socialisation are examined both generally and in the context of an occupation undergoing professionalisation - namely social work. The way in which commitment to a profession develops amongst students in training, including changes in the conceptions which students have of the profession and situations which are important in bringing about change, is examined. There is a comparison of students in different educational institutions, a University and a Technical College, and with different educational backgrounds. The goals and structure of the institutions, including their teaching staff, are also discussed. The value of a number of models or typologies of professional socialisation, in particular the process model, in suggesting approaches to the research and in distinguishing levels of analysis, are considered. A questionnaire survey was carried out in two training courses and students were interviewed at the beginning and end of their courses. Amongst other things material was collected on the social characteristics and background of students, motivations for entry to social work, experiences on the course and aspects of identification with the profession. Information was also obtained from documentary sources and informal interviews with staff on the organisation and control of training, the curriculum and college courses, selection procedures and the characteristics of teaching staff. On the basis of this data it was possible to identify and distinguish between certain structural variables (such as student selection) and situations in which socialisation took place (such as role playing) and to suggest which variables were of greatest importance in socialisation. The information also threw some light on the relative strengths and weaknesses of the various models and typologies under discussion and suggested how these might be developed and improved. Finally the data from the research is used in a discussion of some of the contemporary problems in social work training and education.