| Most empirical research related to the preparation of social work students for professional practice is limited to acquisition or adherence to professional values or attitudes. Utilizing a symbolic interactionist framework, this dissertation reports the findings of an exploratory case study conducted in a modestly sized undergraduate social work program in New York. The purposes of this study were to uncover (1) how undergraduate social work students become professionals and (2) the influence that role models and (3) student and role model gender have on the professional socialization process. Methods included interviews with graduating students, observations of Practice and Field Seminar classes and dissemination of a survey [adapted from Nursing] that ranks the most desirable characteristics of field instructors.;The qualitative data revealed that students continually journey through three sets of nonlinear phases or cycles throughout their education. Phase I, Expectation-Revelation includes program entry expectations, previous encounters with social workers and social problems and perceived proclivities to the profession---all of which influence initial experiences and the construction and selection of role models. Phase II, Refutation-Negotiation includes the discovery of contradictions and ambiguities in the educational process including tensions between class and field, "negative" role models and the low status of the profession, all which prompt the development of coping strategies. Phase III, Adaptation-Affirmation, includes the gratifying internal adjustments and self-awareness that result from compromises between ideal and real. Gender, age, minority status and engagement in role model relationships construct vastly different socialization experiences and affect the degrees to which students feel identified with the profession.;Survey findings reveal that the most desirable field instructor characteristic overall concerned "availability" to the student. Most highly rated characteristics on the survey emerged from the social worker category, suggesting that students were most likely to value those behaviors demonstrating competent professional practice, over both instructional effectiveness [teacher scale] and interpersonal qualities [person scale] respectively. Demographic trends revealed that younger and single students scored lower on the person scale and higher on the social worker scale than the older, married and cohabiting students. Implications for further research and professional education are noted. |
