Helper or Bureaucrat? on the Professional Socialization of Social Work Students

Background and Purpose: Swedish social workers face significant challenges. Rising inequality and segregation have contributed to increasingly severe and widespread social problems. Additionally, welfare state reforms aimed at enhancing cost-efficiency have led to difficult working conditions, marked by high rates of sick-leave and staff turnover. Despite these obstacles, social work education is popular. But how are students prepared for the realities of professional practice? While the development of a professional identity is regarded as crucial, little is known about how social work students are shaped into professionals. The aim of this study is therefore to investigate the professional socialization of social work students.

Methods: The study is based on ethnographic fieldwork within a Swedish social work program, focusing on a group of students. Approximately 270 hours of field observations were carried out, both on campus and digitally on Zoom, alongside 25 student interviews. The fieldwork targeted the first, beginning of the third, end of the fourth, and the fifth semester, out of seven semesters in total. The empirical material was analyzed with the concept of frames—interpretive schemes that students employ to make sense of their future profession and to guide their conduct as social workers.

Results: Students initially entered the program with a "helping frame", viewing social work as a way of helping others through meaningful relationships. As their education progressed and they gained access to new identity resources, they also developed a "bureaucratic frame." This perspective emphasized the influence of organizational constraints—rules, resources, and regulations—on their ability to help. These two primary frames were further enriched by additional interpretive layers, or "laminations," which included a social scientific, behavioral scientific, and emotional lamination.

Conclusions and implications: Swedish social work students form an ambiguous professional identity that merges altruistic ideals with bureaucratic realities. The coexistence of multiple frames and laminations equips students to manage complexity and to approach problems from varied perspectives. However, these frames can also conflict, creating ambivalence and tension. Social work educators must consider how to sustain students’ initial idealism while also preparing them for the practical challenges of the profession. Additionally, it is important to reflect on which frames and laminations educators wish to foster to enable students to thrive in practice.