engleski

Cultural and social network theory perspectives on young researchers’ professional socialization

Supportive relationships in the professional socialization of young researchers can be studied as networks. However studies on the topic remain scarce and one-dimensional in their approach. The research design of this study draws from approaches that recognize science socialization culture as interplay of individual, disciplinary and institutional but also local and national cultural layers, and core social network theory approaches that regard egocentric network as a source of rewarding interactions. By combining qualitative and quantitative methodology, we focus on professionally rewarding young researchers’ egocentric networks as products of unique socialization cultures. A questionnaire about the professional egocentric network is introduced at the end of in-depth interviews (N=40) with Croatian scientific novices from natural and social sciences with parameters such as the respondent’s scientific productivity, productivity of alters - formal mentor(s) and research group - also gathered. To provide statistical generalizations, online core network questionnaire is administered to the additional sample of 140 young researchers from natural and social sciences. We analyze structure of core-networks and by analyzing the alters’ origin and history of acquaintance with ego, we place influences in the cultural spaces and try to discern more about the functioning of disciplines and institutions in which those networks are embedded. We relate findings of the core-networks structure characteristics with productivity and PhD thesis completion in order to better understand the “success” or “appropriateness” of the types of networks that support young researchers professionally. Research methodology is potentially valuable because it provides insight into whether and how the overall structure of a young researcher’s relationships matters in professional science socialization.

proffesional socialization; academic communities; disciplinary culture; organizational culture; career rewarding relationships; egocentric networks

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