Knowledge negotiation and professional socialization
This article proposes a renewed view of professionalization. It considers that the social part of professionalization is declining in the context of accelerated social change. It shows how the construction of one’s professionality is more likely to occur at an intimate individual level, whereas previously it was formed through a sense of belonging to instituted collectives. A theoretical model is supported by the dual concepts of “configuration / negotiation of knowledge” and “disposition / valorization”. It is applied to three areas of investigation: work-study in the health sector, the Validation of Acquired Experience (VAE) process, and a professional master’s degree. The findings indicate more social use of intimacy, which in turn elucidates the professional part of individuation.