Where actions speak louder than words : the experience of trainee cooks on work placement in Singapore
The aim of this research is to illuminate the experience of vocational trainees, specifically trainee cooks, on work placement. Previous ethnographic research in vocational education has tended to converge on sociologically oriented concerns and link the provision of vocational education to the reproduction of social classes. This provided a rich but nonetheless limited understanding of the student experience in this education sector. Professional socialisation studies typically focused on students in higher education and newcomers working in white-collar settings; few studies were carried out with individuals joining vocational trades. Moreover non-sociological studies rarely involved participant observation in data collection and non-linguistic studies rarely emphasised local interactions and verbal exchanges between participants. Studies in blue-collar settings are equally rare. Through a linguistic ethnographic approach, this research offers a detailed picture of the everyday experience of trainee cooks on work placement in professional kitchens. Data was collected through participant observation, fieldnotes, interviews and audio-recordings over a 16-week period involving more than 550 hours in nine professional
Yen-ning, Pang
P Philology. Linguistics ; TX Home economics
Where actions speak louder than words : the experience of trainee cooks on work placement in Singapore. The aim of this research is to illuminate the experience of vocational trainees, specifically trainee cooks, on work placement. Previous ethnographic research in vocational education has tended to converge on sociologically oriented concerns and link the provision of vocational education to the reproduction of social classes. This provided a rich but nonetheless limited understanding of the student experience in this education sector. Professional socialisation studies typically focused on students in higher education and newcomers working in white-collar settings; few studies were carried out with individuals joining vocational trades. Moreover non-sociological studies rarely involved participant observation in data collection and non-linguistic studies rarely emphasised local interactions and verbal exchanges between participants. Studies in blue-collar settings are equally rare. Through a linguistic ethnographic approach, this research offers a detailed picture of the everyday experience of trainee cooks on work placement in professional kitchens. Data was collected through participant observation, fieldnotes, interviews and audio-recordings over a 16-week period involving more than 550 hours in nine professional
action speak word experience trainee cook work placement singapore aim illuminate experience vocational trainee specifically trainee cook work placement previous ethnographic vocational education tend converge orient concern link provision vocational education reproduction social_class provide_rich nonetheless limited student experience education sector professional socialisation study typically focus student high_education newcomer work white setting study_carry individual join vocational trade moreover non sociological_study rarely involved participant_observation data_collection non_linguistic study rarely emphasise local interaction verbal exchange participant studies blue setting equally rare linguistic_ethnographic offer_detailed picture everyday_experience trainee cook work placement professional kitchen data_collect participant_observation interview audio_recordings week period involve hours professional