Nonintellective Undergraduate Socialization in Academic Departments

Abstract

This study is an investigation of the impact of college on changes in students' values. To more clearly delineate the nature of such impact, the study focuses on the academic department, a particularly salient setting for student activity since it is the unit through which completion of degree requirements is generally certified, and on the interpersonal processes through which change (i.e., socialization) occurs in individuals. Wheeler [29, p. 54] discusses two general questions that must be addressed in the study of socialization in organizations. One pertains to social interaction: What are the interpersonal processes through which people are socialized? The other pertains to organizational structure: What are the normative characteristics of the organization that exert socializing influences on members? At college, the relationship between interpersonal and organizational variables can be explained as follows: Just as students differ in their patterns of interaction with others, colleges differ in their structuring, intentionally or not, of both normative contexts such as classrooms and student residences and of opportunities for social interaction among students and college staff.