Career Counseling: A Holistic Approach Chapter 2: Theories of Career Development PART 3: Developmental Theories & Person-In-environment perspective ©2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

Developmental Theories – Key Points Career development is viewed as a lifelong, continuous process that is very inclusive, involving multiple life roles Individuals make changes during developmental stages and adapt to changing life roles Self-concept – individuals project self into work environment as a means of self-expression A system of developmental tasks over the life span provides key points for counseling interventions Developmental needs are evaluated when establishing counseling goals – e.g. adult concerns are addressed & not just initial career choice (a strength of developmental theories) ©2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

©2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. Key points, cont. Individuals circumscribe or narrow career choice through self-awareness that is determined by one’s social class, level of interests, & experiences with sex-typing A primary role is to assist clients to understand how their unique development influences perceptions of life roles, including the work role ©2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

Super: Life-Span, Life-Space Vocational Self-Concept - the driving force that establishes career patterns followed throughout life Develops through physical & mental growth, observations of work, identification with working adults, general environment & general experiences The process is multidimensional – Internal factors (aptitude, values, personality) & Contextual factors (external situational conditions ) Differences & similarities between self & others are assimilated As experiences become broader in relation to awareness of the world of work, a more sophisticated vocational self- concept is formed ©2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

Developmental Stages & Tasks Pages 48 – 50 Super considered ages & transitions as very flexible and not occurring in a well-ordered sequence An individual can recycle through one or more stages (minicycle) ©2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

©2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. Career Maturity Acquired through successfully accomplishing developmental tasks within a series of life stages Often unstable during highschool; Maturity in 9th grade is predictive of success in young adulthood Clients have a better chance of making optimal decisions when most aware of the work world and of themselves Students gain career maturity by learning how to plan for the future & understand the benefits of planning Recommend school curriculums that offer opportunities for students to make connections between classroom activities & future work roles 6 dimensions for adolescents – p. 51 ©2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

Life Stage Model Life Career Rainbow – p. 52 2 dimensional: life span & life space Roles are experienced in the following theaters: Home, community, school, & workplace Success in 1 role facilitates success in another All roles affect each other - begs for a holistic approach & for more research ©2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

Archway Model (p. 53) Archway of Career Determinants Interactive learning forms the keystone (the self) Career development is a pervasive part of life – life activities & developmental stages are integrated Developmentally based career guidance programs must address a broad range of variables & counseling techniques & intervention strategies ©2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

©2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. Evaluating Super’s Theory Evaluations have been predominately positive Evolved during 60 years of research - one of the most comprehensive Criticized for being too vague – concepts not defined well & difficult to measure (e.g work satisfaction, career maturity, & vocational development) ©2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

Practical Applications Career Development Assessment & Counseling Model (C-DAC) Super remained dedicated to the roles of developmental stages within three main segments of his theory: life space, life span, & self-concepts Numerous assessment instruments were developed to measure developmental tasks over the life span that are currently used in the career counseling process. Counseling steps: p 54 - 56 ©2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

Gottfredson’s Developmental Theory of Occupational Aspirations (1981) Offers a developmental, sociological perspective of career development Gottfredson’s theory answers the question, “Why do children seem to re-create the social inequalities of their elders long before they themselves experience any barriers to pursuing their dreams? Career Development is a nature-nurture partnership Social identities are established through work 11

©2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. Stages of Development – p. 56 Stage 1: Orientation to size and power Stage 2: Orientation to sex roles Stage 3: Orientation to social valuation Stage 4: Orientation to the internal, unique self ©2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

©2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. Social Space – zone of acceptable alternatives in each person’s cognitive map of occupations; view of where one “fits” into society Circumscription - the process of determining occupational preferences during self-concept development; self-concept is heavily influenced by social class or SES, intellectual level & sex-typing Compromise - the process of modifying career choices based on generalizations formed about occupations (cognitive maps – e.g. sex-type & prestige – p. 57) & external realities (family obligations, educational opps) ©2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

We create boundaries or tolerable limits of acceptable jobs. Career choice is a process of eliminating the negative rather than selecting the most positive. We create boundaries or tolerable limits of acceptable jobs. Satisfaction – good fit between the choice & self-concept Counselors should respect the individuality of all clients & make no assumptions about a client’s interests, attitudes, & abilities 14

Practical Implications Counselors should respect the individuality of all clients & make no assumptions about a client’s interests, attitudes, & abilities Career education should begin with the very young Empower children & their choices by being aware of the influence of circumscription & compromise 15

Encourage clients to be realistic (p. 59) Gottfredson’s Criteria for Determining a Counselee’s Restriction of Options: Able to name one or more occupational options Possesses interests and abilities adequate for the occupation(s) chosen Satisfied with the alternatives identified Has not unnecessarily restricted alternatives Is aware of opportunities and realistic about obstacles 16

Evaluation of Gottfredson Some research shows that students widen their range of career exploration during high school, not narrow it Limited to children – do you agree? 17

Anne Roe’s Personality Theory of Career Choice Anne Roe (1904-1991), a clinical psychologist, considered the impact of children’s early child-rearing environments on their later career choice Drawing upon Maslow’s (1954) needs theory, Roe suggests that unmet needs become important motivators in the occupational choices people make; the level is influenced by factors such as genetic structure & SES

©2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

Roe identified three primary modes of child rearing environments: emotional concentration (overprotection- overdemanding), avoidance (neglecting needs) acceptance (physical and psychological needs are met) Roe suggests individuals choose occupation fields based on their need structures.