gatekeeper

1. One who facilitates or obstructs movement from one status to another or communication between one group and another. 2. In community organization, the term refers to an indigenous member of a community who permits or precludes real access by the organizers to those in the target population. In this sense, gatekeepers are typically the natural leaders of a community, or they work in key positions that permit them to know what and who is influential. These people may be playground workers, traffic patrol people, gang leaders, bartenders, or neighborhood “busybodies.” 3. In social work education, it refers to the role of the faculty person who is instrumental in including or excluding certain students as members of the profession. 4. The gatekeeper role is also performed by formal organizations and social agencies that evaluate potential clients for certain eligibilities.