Identity coherence and differentiated life trajectories among social work students

Abstract

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.