Professionalization through socialization: Student conceptualizations of internships

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Beveridge, C. (2007). Professionalization through socialization: Student conceptualizations of internships. Unc Charlotte Electronic Theses And Dissertations.
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Abstract

Research suggests that internships lead beneficial outcomes for students, universities, and organizations (e.g., Eyler, 1992; Knouse & Fontenot, 2008), yet a large body of internship research is devoid of a theoretical basis. Previous research that has incorporated theory has positioned internships as vocational anticipatory socialization (VAS) – the period in which one is not yet in the workforce but is learning how to be an organizational member from school, family, and experiences (Jablin, 2001) – without much explanation or exploration as to its theoretical fit. There is limited research on internships, and even less research on internships as VAS. With increasing numbers of students completing internships and more universities encouraging and requiring them, it is important not only to understand what outcomes can come from internships, but why internships lead to these outcomes, if and how these outcomes can be experienced by all interns, and where internship research belongs within socialization theory. Internships offer an opportunity to understand the interconnection of multiple socialization contexts, and may serve as a particularly influential anticipatory experience. The purpose of the current study was to examine how students conceptualize internships in relation to their goals and expectations in order to more definitively understand how internships fit within socialization theory.

Details
Author

Beveridge, Chelsea

Title

Professionalization through socialization: Student conceptualizations of internships

Physical Description

1 online resource (79 pages) : PDF

Date

2007

Degree Granting Institution

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Abstract

Research suggests that internships lead beneficial outcomes for students, universities, and organizations (e.g., Eyler, 1992; Knouse & Fontenot, 2008), yet a large body of internship research is devoid of a theoretical basis. Previous research that has incorporated theory has positioned internships as vocational anticipatory socialization (VAS) – the period in which one is not yet in the workforce but is learning how to be an organizational member from school, family, and experiences (Jablin, 2001) – without much explanation or exploration as to its theoretical fit. There is limited research on internships, and even less research on internships as VAS. With increasing numbers of students completing internships and more universities encouraging and requiring them, it is important not only to understand what outcomes can come from internships, but why internships lead to these outcomes, if and how these outcomes can be experienced by all interns, and where internship research belongs within socialization theory. Internships offer an opportunity to understand the interconnection of multiple socialization contexts, and may serve as a particularly influential anticipatory experience. The purpose of the current study was to examine how students conceptualize internships in relation to their goals and expectations in order to more definitively understand how internships fit within socialization theory.

Genre

masters theses

Subjects--Topics

Communication
Psychology

Degree

M.A.

Keywords

Internships
Professionalization
Qualitative
Socialization

Subject Area

Psychology

Advisor(s)

Gossett, Loril

Committee Members

Scott, Cliff
Heggestad, Eric

Degree Note

Thesis (M.A.)--University of North Carolina at Charlotte, 2007.

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Rights Holder Information

Copyright is held by the author unless otherwise indicated.

Identifier

Beveridge_uncc_0694N_11315

Permalink

http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.13093/etd:1770