Change of Values during Socialization for a Profession

An Application of the Marginal Man Theory

Datos Bibliográficos

ID9890352
AutoresYael Enoch (Open University of Israel, autor de correspondencia)
Año1989
Volumen42
Número3
Páginas219-239
Fecha de publicación1989-03-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaHuman Relations (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0018-7267 • E-ISSN: 1741-282X
EditorialSAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/001872678904200302
OpenAlexW2149122712
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas11
Referencias citadas30

Social work is a marginal profession, ranking between a white-collar occupation and a fullfledged profession. When the training school toward such a profession is part of a well-established academic organization and students at the school come from a lower socio-economic background than those who choose other academic fields, the marginality is accentuated. The marginal-man theory may therefore offer an explanation of the attitude changes undergone by social work students during socializing at a university-based professional school. It was found that in each stage of their professional socialization, the (marginal) socializees adopted the values of the dominant group. Thus, while at the university, the social work students adopted the attitudes prevalent in the academic subculture (represented by social science students). Upon graduation, the young social workers changed their attitudes and adopted attitudes similar to those held by other members of their professional subculture, i.e., veteran social workers and supervisors. Each of these attitude changes were interpreted as attempts to cope with the marginal situation

Graduation (instrument · Political science · Socialization · Sociology · Work (physics · Psychology · Social Psychology · Social Work Education and Practice · Social Work