Becoming a forester. Exploring forest management students' habitus in the making

Abstract

Foresters in Germany are facing extreme challenges due to climate change and social change, struggling to adapt their management strategies. In this context, our study explores the professional socialization of forest management students at Universities of Applied Sciences in Germany: How is a professional habitus formed during forestry education, and how well does this equip students to address ecological and social transformations? Through qualitative in-depth interviews, we investigate how students experience their education and interpret their future roles and tasks. Using a praxeological framework informed by Bourdieu's concept of habitus, we explore how higher education shapes students' ways of perceiving, feeling, and belonging. Findings from our analysis include students' hierarchical positioning in relation to a lay public, their objectivist perspective on knowledge, their identification as part of the “forest family”, and mechanisms of inclusion and exclusion that produce a strong sense of group cohesion. Despite inner heterogeneity in the student body, adaptation pressure is high, especially for those who envision a career as a forester. The students themselves see two main challenges for their professional future: social pressures from a lay public and an unpredictable future due to climate change. We argue that their problem definitions actually point to underlying transformation challenges. Our findings are in resonance with recent debates on forestry's professional culture, its implicit foundations, and its challenges with respect to change. They also point to a potential role of educational institutions to foster diversity in the student body and promote transformation competencies. • Studies on the forestry profession find strong traditions and resistance to change. • We explore the professional socialization of forestry students in Germany. • Students develop a strong identification with forestry, and in-group cohesion. • Students tend to have a hierarchical understanding of knowledge and communication. • They frame transformation challenges mainly as a communication problem.

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