The professional body: How disciplinary mechanisms teach female university students a discourse of professionalism

Abstract

Popular culture and the family act as disciplinary mechanisms operating on female university students, disciplining and teaching them a discourse of professionalism prior to even entering the workplace. By way of interviews and discourse analysis, findings illustrate a contradiction in the 'professional discourse' articulated by female university students. It appears that disciplinary mechanisms operating through the family manipulate the docile female university student to describe a professional body as neutral and almost male-ish. Such attributes are conducive to male dominated bureaucracies that more than likely employ their professional parents. Popular culture on the other hand construct very sexual images and representations of professional women, which consequently sees the female university student tie an element of femininity into her conception and definition of a professional body.