The Professional Socialization of Undergraduate Social Work Students

Abstract

This article compares the early interest in social work students' professional development to the early professional socialization studies in allied professions. Disparity is noted between the early holistic inquiries in other disciplines and social work's predominantly narrow empirical focus on only one dimension of professional socialization—value acquisition. The author also reports the findings of a grounded case study exploring the process of professional socialization and the influence of role models, as experienced by undergraduate social work students. Data construct a process of six phases spanning from “expectation” to “affirmation” with regard to differential experiences based on gender, race, and age. Implications for further research and professional education are noted.