A "LOOPHOLE" IN THE SOCIOLOGIST'S CLAIM TO PROFESSIONALISM: THE JUNIOR COLLEGE SOCIOLOGY INSTRUCTOR.

This article is an attempt to expand the professional visage to sociology in the junior college. Admittedly, the larger four-year colleges and universities have the vast majority of sociology students and majors at the present time, but the increasing expansion of junior college systems and the proliferation of junior college transfer students to four-year colleges suggests that in the foreseeable future these larger institutions will be directly affected by academic preparation in the junior colleges. The junior college instructors, though not completely devoid of professional standards, are not professionally involved with other sociologists nor with local, regional, or national associations. They are not able to share the increasing technical knowledge of the profession and because of their wide range of teaching assignments, must necessarily depend heavily upon a written textbook, with limited elaboration beyond a level. It is readily apparent that the professional regulation, even on an informal basis, is clearly impossible in the ease of the junior college sociology instructor. Moreover, their lack of professional experience under the tutelage of accepted and trained professionals limits their internalization of ethical standards as to orientation and practices and roles to be played by the sociologist.