Social Work for Sociologists: Theory and Practice

Facilitating research Mindedness ● 167

resources of time, money, and a practical final output. It involved learning on
the job. The level of teamwork required was also mentioned as a major difference
and was seen as both novel and rewarding.
The key words that students used to describe the internship course and its
difference from the intermediate research methods course were “accountability”
and, to a lesser extent, “responsibility.” The journal entries differentiated between
what the lecturer wanted and what the client needed and showed an understand-
ing that the client wanted something usable. Students had to negotiate their
course requirements in a context where their overriding duty was to consider
and respect the interests of clients. This focus embodied research mindedness.
The following excerpts from the students’ reflective journals are illustra-
tive of both the real-life nature of the course and the sense of accountability:

While there feels like there is less of a workload in the internship class, it also

feels more stressful because I am actually accountable to other people, includ-

ing my client, my lecturer and my [study] partner—as well as the university

itself.

The internship mirrors “real life.” We are tasked with meeting an actual client,

deciphering their needs and what we can do to benefit their organization...

Actual research is carried out in the internship rather than just theorized about

and the final product that is produced will have real consequences for the rel-

evant organization it is produced for.

The internship is non-linear in that we are not fixed as to what stage is next, we

have to (and can only) move forward when we are able to do so, dependent on

real life factors such as client availability and ethics approval.

In the [intermediate research methods course] I never had to fully think through

the consequences of my actions because they were only theoretical. In the

internship I am constantly required to think through what is actually a practical

method of doing things, and I have to take into account things like cost, time,

and ethics—these aspects of study were limitless in previous course because there

was to be no practical application of the study. Overall, the internship feels like a

much more real-life, work experience type class, where I am learning the practi-

cal side of sociology, rather than the all theory based learning.

Some students saw the internship as the most enjoyable class they had
taken. Equally, the journals reflected the fears they experienced. They used
an array of adjectives to describe their engagement with the project: nerve-
racking, uncomfortable, petrifying, character building, and humbling:

The consequences are much greater if something goes wrong. You are letting

more people down. And in this sense the internship is a bit more challenging

and scary.