The issues discussed relate to the best ways in which universities can create ‘road ready’ practitioners. It is clear, however, that there is no consensus on what constitutes a work-ready paramedic. Some focus group participants mentioned deficient clinical skills, but when this term is unpacked it seems to mean under-developed communication and interpersonal competencies. These competencies may be gained through ‘underpinning sciences’ or ‘soft skills’ subjects such as psychology and sociology.
Nineteen academics talking about their entry to teaching sociology reveal how differing institutional contexts have affected the making of their careers. Participants were drawn to sociology in order to understand or to change the world, but the attraction was shaped by the availability of the discipline; for earlier entrants there was a search for an intellectual home while recent entrants made a simple choice from available options. While all participants reported elements of luck and made pragmatic choices about their careers, two decades of structural changes to higher education mean that the kinds of luck they have and the choices they make differ considerably. There is some suggestion that changes within the discipline have also affected careers. The questions are posed whether the two groups are 'generations' of sociologists, and, if so, what might be the implications for the professional association and for the discipline.
Keywordshigher education, history of sociology, teaching of sociologyIn the 50th year of The Australian Sociological Association (TASA) 1 it is timely to reflect on changes to the ways in which sociological work is done. A majority of the association's members are employed as academics. This article reports on how 19 academics currently located in Australian universities were drawn to the discipline and obtained their first positions. We can speculate that these experiences helped to shape their Downloaded from 2 Journal of Sociology professional identities and ask if there are generational differences in the identity of sociologists over time.We begin by discussing the institutional context for Australian sociology, noting major changes since TASA was founded. We then briefly note the changes to the intellectual context over the same period. After outlining the context in which the data was collected, we examine how the sociologists were drawn to the discipline and achieved their first steps into careers as sociologists.
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