This project is examining the professional socialization and career choices of scientists through an in-depth, qualitative investigation of professional socialization in science PH.D programs, employing an embedded case study design. This design is structured as a comparative, ethnographic study of science graduate students, faculty, and staff to address the following question: "What are the elements and processes of professional socialization- both manifest and latent - by which science graduate students come to understand their profession and their own fit within it, and how do these shape their career selection and progress."
The study objectives are: To improve our understanding of how graduate students are influenced by tacit and explicit processes to make choices about which careers to pursue; To expose the role of cultural influences as well as other factors, such as skills and knowledge, that are more commonly focused on in graduate education; To show the roles of faculty advisors, peers, departmental culture, and other factors.
