Agents and Neophytes: Academic Attitudes and Values and Non-Traditional Professional Socialization

John Van Maanen and Edgar H. Schein have defined professional socialization as “the process by which an individual acquires the social knowledge and skills necessary to assume an organizational role.” This process can be rapid and self-guided or, alternatively, it can require a long period of education and practical training (Van Maanen and Schein 1979). The socialization process experienced by students in graduate and professional education can be particularly intensive. Those individuals pursuing graduate degrees are often bombarded by several socializing mechanisms, both formal and informal, that are designed to instill in them the attitudes, norms, and values considered appropriate for the pursuit of a professional academic career. Similarly, business and medical students are often compelled to adopt the normative behavior of corporate executives and physicians in order to ensure a successful transition to the labor market. The literature on professional socialization in higher education can be divided into three broad categories. First, studies that examine the process from a theoretical perspective. This research has attempted to deconstruct the traditional dichotomy of “active” socializing agent and “passive” neophyte and to establish a more interactive framework. Second, studies that have attempted to examine the influence of age, gender, sex, and department and institutional environment. These studies have increasingly broadened our understanding of the various factors that comprise the professional socialization process. Third, studies that have recognized the rising graduate education attrition rates and have endeavored to illuminate the reasons for graduate student satisfaction and departure. Recent research within all three categories represents the increasing prevalence of non-traditional students in graduate and professional education, as well as the challenges with which departments and institutions are currently confronted by demands for e-learning and distance education. Nevertheless, gaps in the existing literature remain. Most conspicuously, there has been a reluctance to thoroughly examine how the professional socialization experience in online doctoral programs compares to traditional, residential graduate education. This literature review will therefore examine the existing studies on the professional socialization of graduate and professional students in the context of online learning in higher education and provide recommendations for the direction of future research.