Learning the moral order of professions; the contrasting approaches of nursing and clinical psychology

Abstract

In this article we explore the role professional education plays in the development of moral commitment among students. Using the theories developed by the moral philosopher Charles Taylor and the social learning theorists Jean Lave and Etienne Wenger as a sensitizing device, we study the learning processes of two student groups, nurses and psychologists. Examining these two groups provides a basis for identifying processes and factors critical to developing moral awareness and commitment. The results point to the importance of participation in professional communities, and thus of access to the values, norms and distinctions that define the moral order of the respective professions. In line with Wenger we highlight three modes of belonging: engagement, imagination and alignment.