Professional consciousness of the personality: structural and content analysis

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УДК 37.015.3: 378.4 (477)

PROFESSIONAL CONSCIOUSNESS OF THE PERSONALITY: STRUCTURAL AND CONTENT ANALYSIS

N.F. Shevchenko (Zaporizhzhia)

Shevchenko N. F. Professional consciousness of the personality: structural and content analysis. The article presents structural and content analysis of the personality's professional consciousness. It has been represented that the category of «professional consciousness» comprises all manifestations of the personality's consciousness which are connected with its professional activities and are determined by many factors; it integrates both subject operational and motivational personal activity aspects. Professional consciousness is regarded as a kind of psychological entity, which integrates professional values, scientific and theoretical knowledge, professional activity programs as well as personal identification with a certain profession. Professional consciousness represents the nature and level professiogenesis and ensures implementation of professional functions. It has been noted that the complexity of professional consciousness studies is in the lack of works, which would be represented by its structure. The author's position is that the structural organization of the professional consciousness reproduces in a certain way the structure of consciousness.

Based on the concept of consciousness O. M. Leontiev, the category of professional consciousness is considered within the unity of three components: the value, meaning, sensuous fabrics. of the unity of three components: meaning, sense, sensory tissue. Professional consciousness has been defined as form of the personality's consciousness, which is filled with professional meanings, senses and sensual content. It has been characterized the content of these structural components. The conceptual «meaning-sense» tandem has been analyzed within a variety of concepts.

It has been presented that objective properties and relations of objects and phenomena are displayed in the meaning; the relation of the subject to these objects and phenomena are displayed in the sense; sensory tissue is characterized by the peculiarity of the perception of reality by the subject of profession. The interrelation of everyday and professional consciousness levels has also been considered.

Keywords: professional consciousness, professional meaning, meaningful content, sensory tissue, functional levels of professional consciousness, interrelation of professional consciousness' levels.

Шевченко Н. Ф. Професійна свідомість особистості: структурно-змістовий аналіз.

У статті представлено структурно-змістовий аналіз професійної свідомості особистості. Показано, що категорія «професійна свідомість» охоплює всі прояви свідомості особистості, які пов'язуються з її професійною діяльністю і визначаються багатьма чинниками; вона об'єднує предметно-операціональний і мотиваційно-особистісний аспекти діяльності. Професійна свідомість кваліфікується як психологічне утворення, у якому інтегруються професійні цінності, науково-теоретичні знання, програми професійних дій, а також знання людини про себе як про представника певної професії. Професійна свідомість репрезентує характер і рівень професіоґенезу і забезпечує виконання професійних функцій. Акцентовано, що складність дослідження професійної свідомості полягає у відсутності робіт, в яких була б представлена її структура. Позиція автора полягає у тому, що структурна організація професійної свідомості особистості певним чином відтворює структуру свідомості. Ґрунтуючись на концепції свідомості О.М. Леонтьєва, категорія професійної свідомості розглядається у межах єдності трьох компонентів: значення, смислу, чуттєвої тканини. Професійна свідомість визначається як форма свідомості особистості, яка наповнена професійними значеннями, смислами та чуттєвим змістом. Схарактеризовано зміст цих структурних компонентів. Проаналізовано сутність понятійного тандему «значення-смисл» в різних концепціях. Показано, що у значенні відображаються об'єктивні властивості й зв'язки об'єктів та явищ, в особистісному смислі - ставлення суб'єкта до цих об'єктів та явищ, чуттєва тканина характеризується особливістю сприйняття реальності суб'єктом професії. Розглянуто співвідношення буденного і наукового функціональних рівнів професійної свідомості.

Ключові слова: професійна свідомість, професійні значення, професійні смисли, чуттєвий зміст, функціональні рівні професійної свідомості, інтерференція рівнів професійної свідомості.

Шевченко Н. Ф. Профессиональное сознание личности: структурносодержательный анализ. В статье представлен структурно-содержательный анализ профессионального сознания личности. Показано, что категория «профессиональное сознание» охватывает все проявления сознания личности, связанные с ее профессиональной деятельностью и определяющиеся многими факторами; она объединяет предметнооперациональный и мотивационно-личностный аспекты деятельности. Профессиональное сознание квалифицируется как психологическое образование, в котором интегрируются профессиональные ценности, научно-теоретические знания, программы профессиональных действий, а также знания человека о себе как о представителе определенной профессии. Профессиональное сознание представляет характер и уровень профессиогенеза, и обеспечивает выполнение профессиональных функций. Акцентировано, что сложность исследования профессионального сознания заключается в отсутствии работ, в которых была бы представлена его структура. Позиция автора заключается в том, что структурная организация профессионального сознания личности определенным образом воспроизводит структуру сознания.

Основываясь на концепции сознания А. Н. Леонтьева, категория профессионального сознания рассматривается в рамках единства трех компонентов: значения, смысла, чувственной ткани. Профессиональное сознание определяется как форма сознания личности, которая наполнена профессиональными значениями, смыслами и чувственным содержанием.

Охарактеризовано содержание этих структурных компонентов. Проанализированы сущность понятийного тандема «значение-смысл» в различных концепциях. Отмечено, что в значении отражаются объективные свойства и связи объектов и явлений, в личностном смысле - отношение субъекта к этим объектам и явлениям, чувственная ткань характеризуется особенностью восприятия реальности субъектом профессии. Рассмотрено соотношение обыденного и научного функциональных уровней профессионального сознания.

Ключевые слова: профессиональное сознание, профессиональные значения, профессиональные смыслы, чувственнее содержание, функциональные уровни профессионального сознания, интерференция уровней профессионального сознания.

Відомості про автора:

Шевченко Наталія Федорівна - доктор психологічних наук, професор, завідувач кафедри педагогіки та психології освітньої діяльності Запорізького національного університету.

profession education psychological consciousness

Problem's definition and its relation to important scientific and practical tasks. А wide range of important aspects connected with professional consciousness concept can help modern psychologists explain the essence of a specialist's professional formation and development.

In psychological and pedagogical literature professional consciousness is viewed as one of the most important in psychology of education because it unites both subject-operational aspect (associated with formation and development of subject-specialized methods of mental activity) as well as its motivational personal aspect (associated with the formation of a future specialist's valueconscious semantic attitude to the activity being mastered and its key tasks).

This research actuality is substantiated by the insufficient degree of the problem elaboration because modern conditions demand new approaches and scientific paradigms for explaining, diagnosing and forecasting the patterns of the professional consciousness development processes.

Analysis of recent studies and publications discussing the issue and relied upon by the author. The functioning of a specialist's consciousness (that means, above all, deep feelings, ways of thinking, intuition and art) occurs in relation to his external activity. Other feelings, ideas, ideals, images, concepts are also included. Such understanding of professional consciousness correlates with the conception relating to psychosemantic aspects of professional consciousness investigated by O.Yu. Artemyeva, V.F. Petrenko, T.N. Ushakova, I.B. Khanina, O.G. Shmelev. They explain professional consciousness as a kind of specific transformation of the world in consciousness determinated by professional identity (“image of the world” in general) and “object of labour” in particular.

The category of professional conscience can embrace all manifestations of consciousness in a personality which are connected with professional activities and determined by a number of factors, such as:

position of the profession in the occupational structure of the society;

attitude of the individual to his profession, to himself, to other representatives of the same profession, awareness of the profession importance in the society;

attainment of professional skills and qualifications, ability to perform self-evaluation regarding prospects of a personal professional growth;

understanding professional ideals, commitment to professional standards;

realizing modern level of standard professional qualifications and ability to assess personal qualities that may be professionally significant;

professional achievements [1].

Important indicators of professional consciousness are knowledge of the basic principles of training, instructions, major motives that specialists receive during training in schools and their further professional activities. Professional consciousness is the primary node, where differences between training and practice of a particular profession are concentrated.

Professional consciousness is regarded as a kind of psychological entity, where professional values, scientific and theoretical knowledge, professional activity programs as well as personal identification with a certain profession are integrated. It is such a psychological entity, which integrates professional values, scientific and theoretical knowledge, professional activities programs as well as human knowledge about themselves. A man is a representative of all these aspects, levels, functions in practical and theoretical activities. Critically important is that the professional consciousness is qualified as the most important category, which really depicts the essence of a specialist's professional formation and development process. Therefore moulded professional consciousness is the main condition for high quality professional activity and is intended to ensure the integrity of a specialist's professional culture (G.V. Akopov, S.G. Khosaretsky, S.D. Maksymenko, O.S. Tsokur, Yu.M. Shvalb).

The goal of the article is to substantiate and disclose psychological structure and content of professional consciousness.

Presentation of the main material. The concept of professional consciousness represents a psychological entity of general psychological standpoints that integrates professional knowledge structured in professional activity programs and also a man's knowledge about himself as a representative of a certain profession. Consequently any professional sphere can be adopted in the consciousness of the individual, making it professional, identifying professional affiliation - legal, educational, psychological whatsoever. Professional consciousness of a personality is a kind of psychological entity, which integrates professional values, scientific and theoretical knowledge, professional action programs and a man's knowledge about himself as belonging to a certain occupation. A man is a representative of all these aspects, levels, functions in practical and theoretical professional activity. Well-formed professional consciousness is undoubtedly essential for high quality professional activity. In psychological and pedagogical literature we can find descriptions of professional identity formation described as a period of conscious occupational choice. However, professional consciousness begins to take shape on the way of professional awareness and is functioning throughout the whole life period.

The difficulty of research in the sphere of professional consciousness can be explained by the lack of works which would investigate its structure. In V. Ermolin's forty year old publication such structural organization has been given. According to the published work professional individual consciousness consists of two interconnected structures: 1 - internal, which includes components of professional rationality, sensitivity and freedom; 2 - external, in which consciousness is viewed as: a) - knowledge of the profession, requirements to the individual in certain working conditions in their field; b) - evaluation of his place and role in the system of industrial relations, evaluation of the significance of the profession, the process and the result of their work; c) - as a result of the conversion of the profession in an ideal phenomenon [3].

Since professional consciousness is a form of consciousness its structural organization should reproduce either in general or in particular the structural components of consciousness, defined in a particular theory, for example, either in two-component theory of consciousness by L.S. Vygotsky, or ternary structure by O.M. Leontiev, either in quadruple structure by V.P. Zinchenko or in quinary by F.Y. Vasyliuk. In this case the description of the structure of professional consciousness presented by V.V. Ermolin reflects rather its peculiarities or characteristics. Recognizing the fact that professional consciousness contains the same structural components as consciousness, we should decide which of the theories to follow in order to define the structure of professional consciousness.

O.Y Artemyeva provides a definition of meaning as a trail of activity, detected towards a corresponding object [2].

In the concept of V.P. Zinchenko “meaning” is defined as a cultural component of reflexive consciousness. The concept of meaning reveals the fact that a human mind is not developed under Robinsonade conditions, but within cultural environment in which experience of reality, communication and perception of the world have been historically crystallized and an individual has not only assimilate to it, but also build his own experience on its basis. The author distinguishes three types of meanings: operational, substantive and verbal, moreover he indicates their relationship with other components of consciousness. Operational meanings belong to biodynamic tissue, substantive ones relate to sensitive tissue and verbal are associated with sense. According to V.P. Zinchenko the concept of “sense” indicates the fact of “accelerated individual consciousness in being human ... Consciousness is not only knowledge but also an attitude” therefore a meaning is intended to emphasize the fact that knowledge, possessed by an individual, is not impersonal [4, p. 23].

The main problem in the study of consciousness, noted by O.M. Leontiev, is to understand consciousness as a subjective product, as converted manifestation of the social, by their nature, relations that are carried out by human activities in the objective world [7]. In our approach we adhere to O.M. Leontiev's concept and believe that professional consciousness, at least at today's stage of research, could be considered within unity of the 3 components: meaning, sense, sensory tissue. There exist other interpretations of the structure of consciousness offered by different theories, but in those theories it is difficult to find out a necessary tool kit, methods and ways for describing professional consciousness. Their authors do not indicate the way how it should be interpreted into the professional sphere. It is not quite clear how to operate with biodynamic tissue, with living movement in relation to professional consciousness of a psychologist.

On the contrary O.M. Leontiev's theory makes it possible to describe professional awareness in primary basic categories - “meaning”, “sense”, “sensory tissue”. Therefore the core of professional consciousness also comprises meaning and sense. The content of meaning and sense, as well as the character of relations between them are stipulated both by the content and purposes of the professional activity. Simultaneously “sensual tissue” in the structure of professional consciousness is important in no small measure.

Let us examine in detail meaning and sense as nuclear formation of consciousness -. Understanding of meaning and sense, as the most important elements of consciousness, is generally accepted at present time, especially after establishing the fact of their relationship and also psychological dynamics of the process between consciousness and person's activity. The most profound, intimate human consciousness structures are semantic structures which determine the content and dynamics of the “internal world”. O.M. Leontiev has noted that relatively separated structures of separate actions that coordinate specific objectives, circumstances and operations (methods of action) are registered in language meanings. However, a certain individual activity relates to a particular motive, because a person sets up a reasonably motivated objective. Therefore, the author advises to distinguish between the perceived objective meaning and its significance to a person, which is referred to as “personal sense”. The meaning obtained from culture provides consciousness adequacy towards objective laws of the outside world, and personal meaning makes it possible to perform more narrow tasks limited to specific personal motives of an individual [6].

According to D.O. Leontiev, despite various interpretations of sense by Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences, the concept of sense most directly characterizes human reality and being: in the consciousness it describes, first of all, communication links with the man's world and at the same time expresses the most intimate, individual layers of experience that are hard to comprehend and communicate. On the contrary, meaning provides communication and understanding, it is a message from consciousness to others [8].

Conceptual “meaning-sense” tandem, borrowed from linguistic sciences, has been comprehended in psychology slightly differently, receiving different meaningful content. There happen situations where the inertia of generally accepted semiotic understanding of meaning and sense does not allow us to see those substantially new trends that have been introduced to these concepts with the activity approach in psychology. This approach argues non-classical interpretation of the problem of consciousness: in order to understand the life of consciousness one has to go beyond its limits, referring to individual real life issues. The author points out that the contradistinction between “meaning” and “meaningful content” in psychology is associated with the attempt to distinguish between social historical experience of a certain social community and its individually specific refraction in an individual life. Along with this fundamental distinction there exists another one: meaning reveals objective properties and relations of objects and phenomena while meaningful content shows a personal attitude to these objects and phenomena. Thus, the relationship between meaning and meaningful content determines their contradistinction.

D.O. Leontiev understands such contradistinction as getting a new vision of meaning and sense ratio, which is limited to the scope of individual consciousness. Exactly, in this meaning and sense introspection one can see two contrasted parameters:

meaning (general, social) - sense (individual, unique);

meaning (reflecting objective material properties) - sense (reflecting only individually significant qualities).

The author emphasizes that meaning and sense can be substantially distinguished only in a much broader context, which, firstly, is not limited by the context of individual consciousness and, secondly, by their opposition to each other. Therefore, in order to characterize their genuine intercourse, we'll have to look into this broader context, and analyze their functioning among individuals and within social communities.

D.O. Leontiev analyzes the correlation of sense and meaning by their functioning in processes of communication and understanding, as, on the one hand, research conducted in the field of verbal communication most clearly formulates the above mentioned contradistinction of sense and meaning as a binary opposition, while, on the other hand, there are theoretical studies, allowing to overcome this contradistinction. The author points out that the starting point of analysis, made by him, is the activity of an individual, which plays a decisive role in generating and disclosing meanings [8].

So it is obvious that meanings as well as their sense are genetically inseparably linked with activity. Due to intervention of individual activity they are not transfered from public consciousness into individual but are constructed inside individual consciousness, holding genetically memorized in their structure original detailed forms of cognitive activity. The process of transforming generalizing activity into a generalization which crystallizes in a meaning has been thoroughly analyzed by O.M. Leontiev who studied the processes of mastering scientific concepts by students [6].

Developing that idea O.O. Leontiev calls attention to the fact that sense is not less social than meaning and is always covered with paints of some group interests [5]. The aim of D.O. Leontiev is to show that interpretation of meaning and sense in the context of activity is incompatible with their contradistinction to each other as a polar opposition [9].

The further component of consciousness structure without which it would be difficult to understand the phenomenology of professional consciousness is sensory tissue. Sensory tissue is not just a filter which sifts information from the outside world. Any information (that is received and perceived) acquire structural changes, because it is not only being differentiated but simultaneously it is creating sensual image of a professional situation. The moulded individual consciousness is characterized by its psychological multidimensionality. O.M. Leontiev speaks of consciousness “sensory tissue” phenomena that creates a sensory composition either of concrete images of reality reflected in a memory, or relating to the future, or even just imagined. The function of sensory images in consciousness is that they add reality to conscious world picture opened to the individual. It is through the sensory content of consciousness the world appears to the individual as if something that exists outside his consciousness, as the object of his activities. The nature of mental sensory images lies in their objectivity, in their ability to be generated inside activity, linking the individual with the external objective world [4, p. 81].

While transforming O.M. Leontiev's ternary structure of consciousness into the structure of professional consciousness it should be clearly specified with which content (meaning, sense, sensory tissue) the structures of consciousness are to be filled in professional consciousness. Being a form of consciousness, professional consciousness creates not just general meanings but concepts and categories of the definite sphere of knowledge belonging to a particular professional field but also shapes professional meanings revealed in professional motives and interests, which in their turn are manifested in setting professional goals. As for sensory tissue, it is characterized by specialists' specific perception of reality.

The foregoing interpretation of professional consciousness deepens our understanding of professional consciousness as a psychological phenomenon. While revealing psychological meaning of professional consciousness, it should be noted that, as a multilayered entity, it combines in its structure both social and scientific levels of consciousness. In search of criteria for professional consciousness we should define scientific grade as the first criterion by which professional consciousness differs from everyday ideas about the world of a certain profession and programs of professional actions required for its implementation. The second criterion - the nature of the actions included, which is characterized by the shape and scope of activities to be undertaken. For example, in ordinary consciousness psychological knowledge and ideas are more "game" allegedly to understand others, while in professional psychological consciousness they become the subject of scientific and theoretical reflection and thought, and, as such, they become a tool for practical interaction with other people. The third criterion is the nature of responsibility for the action implemented. Professional consciousness is laden with professional responsibility, and this is the key moment. In addition, ordinary notions differ from scientific concepts by their structure. Unlike ordinary notions scientific concepts are characterized by systematic, internal connectivity and their own model design.

Another important factor for us is to understand peculiarities of interference and interrelation of professional consciousness' social and scientific levels in different periods of specialists' professional development, as this phenomenon can be treated differently in professional genesis. For us it is necessary to understand this process already at an early stage of professional genesis, particularly at the stage of training future specialists in higher schools. The idea of interference of consciousness levels can also be taken into account as it is similar to the physical phenomenon of interference described as mutually reinforcing or weakening of the waves when they overlap. Overcoming the negative effect of interference process occurs throughout further professional development process. The scientific level of consciousness becomes an integral part of the professional level of consciousness, which is built over the level of ordinary consciousness. At this stage there is no interference between the levels of everyday and professional consciousness. In the process of professional genesis some changes take place in integral psyche, it becomes different. For example, in a situation of consultative interaction "client - psychologist" specialists of different levels built different models of professional psychological consciousness. Therefore during practical training of future psychologists as the initial stage of professional genesis unidirectional vector causes a kind of summation of everyday and scientific levels of consciousness when solving client's problems. In this case, professional consciousness acquires a new quality reflected in so-called "professional emphasis," that is also typical to young professionals.

It is quite logical to ask what happens to consciousness while acquiring a new experience. The formation of levels of consciousness and simultaneous development of symbolic tools happen by creating new meanings and new sense, by transferring them from the existential level to the reflective, scientific one. Transfer of meanings enables us to build new meanings not only in the process of professional activity but to acquire them in the process of study. Such understanding of studying process as a tool for building semantic systems full of meaning, their activating and restructuring, force us to consider the problem of acquiring sense as a result of directed transfer more widely, that means to consider systematic training as a particular case of semantic mechanism of influence.

Being a special form of consciousness professional consciousness moves along with the professional development of an individual. It is being formed and developed during all stages of his professional genesis and at any time it can describe the state of development. Professional consciousness is not a framework design, it changes every time, but within more general scope of professional genesis. Professional consciousness represents nature and level of professional genesis, it provides the performance of professional functions. In the most general sense, professional consciousness manifests ability to solve professional tasks. The content, level and structural features of professional consciousness define forecasting, goal formation, planning, decision making, monitoring as well as evaluation and correction of a specialist's professional activity.

Conclusions and prospects for further research. The structural content analysis of professional consciousness leads to the conclusion that the professional consciousness structure (as a form of individual consciousness) consists of three components. The core of professional consciousness is “meaning and “sense”. The content of “meaning” and “sense” as well as the nature of the relationship between them are conditioned by the content and purposes of professional activity, e. these professional values are reflected in professional theories and models that make the basis of professional activity. The system of professional meanings is expressed primarily through professional values and principles of the professional activity. “Sensory tissue” (expressed by difference in perception) has no less importance in the structure of professional consciousness.

The suggested approach to the psychological structure of professional consciousness, undoubtedly, does not cover all the aspects of this complex and multifaceted phenomenon. Further research connected with the broader study of the functions and mechanisms of professional consciousness seem perspective.

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