Identity coherence and differentiated life trajectories among social work students

ABSTRACT

This research aims to describe the identity coherence and differentiated life trajectories of social work students according to their age of enrollment. This article reports analyses of a cross-sectional study with repeated measures surveying students enrolled in the first two years of the Bachelor of Social Work program between 2001 and 2019 at the University of Sherbrooke (Québec, Canada). Analyses of the responses of the 431 younger students (18 to 24 years old) and 125 older students (25 and over) showed that both groups of students had a similar profile in terms of their personal experiences, training, values and personal interests that led them to enroll in social work. Additionally, these students considered several alternative help-related professional disciplines at the time of their enrollment. Older students (25 years and over) seemed to be more certain of their choice to enroll in this academic program. These choices were based on previous professional experiences that they had integrated in their life experiences. These findings contrasted with younger students (24 years old and under) who seemed to be certain about their choice of program. In fact, their choice of social work seemed to be positioned as the obvious continuity of their pre-university studies.

KEYWORDS:

• Social work students
• career choice
• social trajectory
• education
• professions

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank the student respondents from University of Sherbrooke who took time to participate in this study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

No funding was received for this research.

Notes on contributors

Thomas Lemaitre

Thomas Lemaître, MD, MSc (Health Sciences) completed a master’s degree in health science in 2007. As a research coordinator, he contributed to several research projects at the local and national level mainly in the field of immunization and more recently in the field of social work.

Yves Couturier

Yves Couturier, MSW, PhD (Applied Human Sciences) is a professor of social work at the Université de Sherbrooke (Québec, Canada). His research expertise is related to integrated services, interprofessional collaboration, and sociology of professional practices in the field of health and social services.

Maxime Guillette

Maxime Guillette, MSW (Social Work), completed a master’s degrees in social work in 2015. He is currently studying for a PhD in gerontology at the Université de Sherbrooke (Québec, Canada).

Dominique Gagnon

Dominique Gagnon, MSW, PhD (Gerontology), is a professor of social work at the Université du Québec au Abitibi-Témiscamingue (Québec, Canada). His research work falls within the field of social gerontology. His research interests include Integrated Community-Based Primary Health for the elderly and professional practices of social workers.

Louise Belzile

Louise Belzile, PhD (Gerontology), completed her PhD studies in 2018 at the Université de Sherbrooke (Québec, Canada) after 20 years in the practice of social work. She currently lectures in a master’s program in gerontology. She contributed to several research projects at the local, national and international level since 2009. Her research interests are focused on clinical tools, integration of services, aging and interprofessional work practice and education.

Anna Lisa Cone

Anna Lisa Cone, BA (Rice University), BSW (Social Work), completed her bachelor’s of social work degree at the Université du Québec à Rimouski (Canada) in 2017, currently assistant director of health and social services for Heritage Lower Saint Lawrence, a Networking and Partnership Initiative of the Québec Community Health and Social Services Network, she works in the field of regional community development to create access to services in English for the official language minority population of the Lower Saint Lawrence (Québec, Canada).

Paul Wankah

Paul Wankah, MD, PhD (Health Sciences), completed a PhD in health sciences in 2022 at Université de Sherbrooke. He currently lectures qualitative research methodology at Université de Sherbrooke (Québec, Canada).