À la croisée de la sociologie de l’enseignement supérieur, de la sociologie des professions et de la socialisation, cette thèse a pour objectif d’interroger la sociogenèse du corps professionnel des assistantes de service social (ou, plus communément, des assistantes sociales) au prisme de sa formation et selon une approche comparative. Formations initiales, continues, professionnelles ou universitaires, ces curricula sont, dans les deux pays, structurées autour de la tension entre forme scolaire et apprentissage professionnel. Cette recherche sur la fabrique des assistances sociales explore cette tension à partir d’une sociologie des étudiantes et des institutions qui les (con)forment. Le dispositif d’enquête combine méthodes qualitatives et quantitatives : entretiens, questionnaires et observations ethnographiques au sein de quatre instituts de formation. Dans la perspective d’une sociologie comparée d’espaces disciplinaires et par suivi longitudinal des étudiantes, de l’entrée à la sortie des formations, on a essayé d’éclairer les mécanismes de socialisation en service social. Dans une première partie, par une socio-histoire des deux espaces nationaux de formation en service social, il s’est agi de s’intéresser à la genèse de ces curricula. En France, cette formation se construit à l’écart de l’enseignement supérieur (à l’exception de certains parcours en IUT), alors qu’en Italie, après être longtemps demeurée à l’extérieur du champ universitaire, elle y a été intégrée au cours des années 1990 et 2000. Explorer les luttes et les échecs dans l’institutionnalisation de cette formation, permet de dessiner des parallèles entre l’universitarisation de cette filière et l’injonction à la professionnalisation dans l’espace de l’enseignement supérieur. Dans une deuxième partie, on a porté notre attention sur les aspirations et les orientations dans le service social. En resituant d’abord chaque choix scolaire dans la hiérarchie des filières du supérieur national, on a identifié trois types d’orientation étudiante dans les deux contextes nationaux en fonction des parcours scolaires, des appartenances de classe et des discours mis en avant par les étudiantes enquêtées. D’une typologie statistique aux récits de vie, on a montré les conditions sociales, individuelles et collectives des raisons d’agir et des parcours socio-scolaires des étudiantes qui s’orientent vers ces formations. À l’aide d’une analyse comparée et transversale de dix trajectoires, on a pu repérer pour certaines une continuité socio-scolaire, pour d’autres un réajustement professionnel ou encore une réorientation sociale. La troisième partie s’intéresse aux mécanismes de sélection, à l’entrée et tout au long du cursus, aux contenus et aux savoirs transmis au sein des quatre centres de formation des deux pays. La sélection, axée selon les structures sur une distance, partielle ou revendiquée, avec les connaissances scolaires, permet de cibler des étudiantes aux profils spécifiques, relevant d’origines et d’expériences sociales distinctives. Tandis que les instituts identifiés comme relevant du pôle scolaire visent davantage des étudiantes d’origines populaires, plus conformes à l’institution scolaire, les instituts du pôle professionnel ciblent les dispositions interactionnelles et une adaptabilité aux conditions professionnelles qui concernent davantage des élèves plus dotées en capitaux. Au final, les instituts de formation participent à un tri progressif des populations, toutes les étudiantes n’arrivant pas jusqu’au diplôme. Entre docilité sociale et adaptabilité au marché de l’emploi, l’apprentissage progressif du métier d’assistante sociale passe par des ajustements, des résistances et des réappropriations d’un ethos singulier, au sein d’un espace professionnel en constante redéfinition. / The goal of this dissertation is to question the social origins of social service assistants (or social workers) in France and Italy. Based on a cross-national comparative design focusing on social workers’ training trajectories, this research combines approaches from the sociology of higher education, sociology of professions and theories of socialization. While social workers’ curricula in the two countries vary across forms of “pre-service”, “in-service”, vocational as well as university training, they generally stem from the tension existing between academic and professional educational systems. This study addresses this tension, focusing on the interplay between students’ social background and the logics of education in social assistance. The research design combines qualitative and quantitative methods, including face-to-face interviews, questionnaires and ethnographic observation at four educational institutions. By comparing the configuration of the disciplinary field in the two countries, and by following students longitudinally from entry to graduation, hence, this study aims to shed light on the process of socialization in social work education.The first section offers a social history of training in social service, investigating the background of the different types of curricula in the two national contexts. While social work training in France generally takes place outside of the high education system, in Italy it was ultimately integrated in the university field throughout the 1990s and 2000s. Exploring the more or less successful process of institutionalization of this specific form of training, allows elaborating on the academization of the social service sector in light of the progressive professionalization of higher education. The second section focuses on aspirations and orientations among social service students. By classifying students’ choices hierarchically in the two national higher education sectors, we identify three main types of orientation, which have to do with a student’s educational trajectory, their class membership, as well as her preferred justification.Based on a statistical typology of students’ life stories, we illustrate the social and academic background, as well as the individual and collective conditions, in which students embarking in this type of education are embedded. The comparative, cross-sectional analysis of ten individual trajectories, in fact, shows that while some students display socio-academic continuity, others experience professional readjustment or even social reorientation.The third section addresses selection mechanisms at entry and throughout the educative path in the two countries, while also focusing on the content and skills within the curricula of the four training institutes under study. It shows that, albeit often claiming otherwise, institutes do not select students based on their school background (previous school experience), but rather target candidates with specific profiles stemming from distinctive social origins and experiences. While institutes belonging to the school cluster target primarily students of working class background in line with the tradition of school institutions, those of the professional cluster target specific interactional predispositions as well as adaptability to professional conditions, which are more frequent among students that are better off in terms of cultural capital. Furthermore, all institutes put forth a progressive selection, as not all of the students ultimately get a diploma. Learning social work takes place at the crossroads between social docility and adaptability to the job market, which implies adjustments, resistances and re-appropriations of the singular ethos of a professional space in constant redefinition.

This comparative research explores the work experiences of dementia care workers in nursing homes. The aim of this study is to understand concepts central to care and to gain insights from the care workers‟ perspectives. A comparative framework and symbolic interactionist approach is used to analyse data collected using ethnographic methods from 59 dementia care workers in Canada, Scotland, and the United States. The fieldwork settings are institutionalised; dominated by for-profit ownership; and provide care for a resident population with high cognitive and physical needs. The comparative findings underscore the importance of work conditions that provide care workers with sufficient resources to do their job and enough time to complete their work. The absence of these critical components creates stressful work conditions for the care workers. The lack of time, staff and supplies such as towels, wash cloths, and continence products do not allow the residents‟ choices in their care and disregard their dignity and rights. The inability to deliver care for the residents according to the guaranteed government care standards often result in the violation of human rights for the care workers and residents. The care workers are unable to supply the quality of care they know the residents need and are capable of providing given better circumstances. There are frequently not enough care workers, resources, or time to meet the level of care that relevant standards mandate or the care workers know is possible. The analysis reveals that care workers struggle to provide more than basic physical care and are seldom able to meet essential social care needs for the residents. Unwritten rules are implemented in each setting that include separating people with dementia, placing these residents out of view of the public, not allowing the residents access to go outside, and not providing them with engaging and meaningful interactions. While policies are frequently developed with good intentions, many are counter-productive without dementia knowledge. This comparative research reveals care practices and routines share strong similarities across the fieldwork sites while the care worker characteristics as a workforce vary the most between countries. Some differences involve the training required, average age, pay and mode of dress or appearances. Too often researchers frame stress issues for care workers as problems with attitudes, motivation, training and incentives. Yet, the broader social structures and conditions that set the context in which these problems have their origins are commonly ignored. Good working conditions for care workers are precursors to good care for the residents. This thesis concludes with recommendations for practice, research and policy development.