Abstract

In a context of associational professionalization that is modifying deeply the training offer designed for volunteers in social centers, our contribution (stemming from a doctoral research) proposes to consider the volunteers› accompaniment as an opportunity for employees› professional development in charge of welcoming them. The involved research has mobilized a theoretical framework that articulates work on emerging professionalism and professional ethos (Jorro, 2009; 2011) with communities of practice theory (Wenger, 2005). We propose to consider these accompaniment situations as a cultural practice commitment (Billett, 2008) from the discovery of the acted-out-values that guide practices in the spaces concerned.