What is it about?
Professionalism is often described as a key trait needed to secure employment. However, the definition of professionalism can vary and it often reflects White, middle-class, masculine speech, dress, and behavior. This paper explores the tensions of teaching low-income students about professionalism, which may not be aligned with their ways of knowing and being. These tensions may be heightened within college-based programs that are designed to support low-income students' success both in and after college.
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Why is it important?
Although it is beneficial to teach low-income students about professionalism to help them secure employment, it is important to consider the messages that are also being sent about their dress, language, and behavior. Often, professionalism is framed as something that low-income students do not have and there is potential to challenge and expand how we think about professionalism to highlight these students' strengths.
Perspectives
We are grateful to our institutional partners for exploring the tensions of supporting low-income students' career preparation and professional development. We hope that this paper creates more conversation about how we define professionalism and whose ways of knowing and being might be excluded from being "professional."
Dr Rosemary J. Perez
University of Michigan
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: The tensions of teaching low-income students to perform professionalism., Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, November 2022, American Psychological Association (APA),
DOI: 10.1037/dhe0000455.
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