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

Person-in-Environment Perspective Focuses attention on contextual interaction over the life span – seen as inclusive & balanced Clients are viewed as products of an environment that is very inclusive and also unique One’s career development is influenced & constructed within several environmental systems, such as family, church, neighborhood, school, culture & customs, neighbors, friends, workplace, community agencies, etc Individuals influence & are influenced by environment - reciprocal ©2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

©2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. Ecological System Individuals are at the center of and embedded in several environmental systems Systems interact with one another & change Brofenbrenner’s 4 systems – p. 62 People develop in changing historical contexts & in sociocultural interactions & relationships Not all client probs are within the client – concerns are embedded within person-in-environment experiences Uniqueness emerges from individualized & shared experiences, and one’s unique interpretation of those experiences ©2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

Constructivism (propositions p.63) Individuals define themselves within interactions with environment (events, rels) – develop personal constructs Personal constructs are developed through the way one interprets & views his/her life ; they change over lifespan Counselors assist by helping clients identify & understand their unique personal constructs prior to further intervention strategies – they help the client consciously influence the direction of future life roles Person-work-environment fit involves how the person fits into the work role & how the work role fits into the person’s lifestyle Since constructs change, clients are best served by helping them learn to manage their own career dev. ©2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

Savickas’ Career Construction Theory Expands & extends Super’s theory of vocational development Based on the concept that individuals construct reality or truth Clients learn how to construct a career path that fosters individual progress to discovering & experiencing a meaningful life Constructivist career counseling begins with the discovery of career concerns and involves self- concept development & implementation ©2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

©2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. 16 propositions Include developmental contextualism (e.g. roles), vocational self-concepts (e.g. work satisfaction, attributes relevant to work roles), and vocational developmental tasks (e.g. social expectations, growth, vocational maturity, career adaptability) ©2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

©2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. Core Roles Individuals participate in their own development that leads to perceptions of core roles (personal constructs - e.g. gender differences in work roles); Each person’s core roles interact to shape his/her other core roles As core roles emerge, increasing sense of personal awareness & integration of constructs – gradually one integrates constructs into a system that gives clarity to purpose & role ©2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

©2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. Childhood – self-concept percepts are not integrated nor coherent Adolescence – more unified & coherent self- concept – more accurate & abstract self descriptions The more organized self-concept becomes a filter through which one forms self- perceptions that guide & control behavior We are in constant self-concept revision as experiences happen – process of career development is never complete ©2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

Developmental Tasks Within Vocational Developmental Stages Growth Become concerned about one’s future as a worker Increase personal control over one’s vocational activities (independent actions, intentional behavior) Form conceptions about how to make educational & vocational choices Acquire the confidence to make & implement these career choices (1 source is success in school activities) These occur within the context of relationships – positive, secure relationships help one to feel positive about themselves & others ©2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

©2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. Exploration - Choices are narrowed, but not finalized; Learning about occups & self; 3 tasks 1) Crystallization – assessment of alternatives; stabilization & integration of self percepts – if lag behind - indecisive 2) Specification – in-depth exploration – preferences & reality testing (e.g what is required); declaration of how one views self in relation to the world 3) Actualization – search for fit in a work envt – focus on career identification; experimenting with jobs; external & internal barriers may delay ©2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

©2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. Establishment – a settling down process One begins the implementation of self-concept in an occupational role Individuals refine their occupational role & consolidate their position Greater self-understanding & identification with the total system of a career field Developing a perspective of positive growth orientation Distinguishing between real barriers & perceived barriers that affect the ability to reach personal goals ©2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

©2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. Maintenance or Management Increased awareness of life stages in terms of time spans Renewal of vocational development – redefining the self & maintaining & preserving one’s self-concept Avoid stagnation by updating skills & knowledge – innovative, lifelong learners Resilient & willing to start over if needed ©2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

©2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. Disengagement Pre-retirement considerations Let go of responsibilities – pass them on Learning to accept a reduced work load & changing focus away from a highly involved work identity Organize a new & different lifestyle – retirement ©2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

©2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. Assessment (p. 68) Adult Career Concerns Inventory measures concerns with the developmental stages. Begin by focusing on life space - life roles, including work - uncovering level of commitment to work role; determine cultural concerns in which concerns originate Career adaptability – competencies for making educational and vocational decisions (Career Maturity Inventory, Career Development Inventory) Vocational self-concept & career themes – adjective checklists, card sorts, etc & interview & autobiography Vocational identity – Measures of interest, such as the Self-Directed Search or Strong Interest Inventory; compare with vocational self- concept & career themes to determine fit Test results are utilized within the client narrative or life story ©2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

©2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. Action Theory Events take shape as people engage in them – In Action Theory, the focus is on human intention, processes and change in context rather than on context as a setting Actions are social processes & and reflect an individual’s social & cultural world Actions consist of manifest behavior, internal processes, and social meaning Joint Action – each person in an interaction influences the other, changing behavior, modifying thinking & impacting future consequences Project – refers to an agreement of actions between people; made up of the individual & joint actions; similar to “career”, but involves a shorter period of time & less actions (e.g counseling is a project) Actions are interpreted in a systematic way within the context ©2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

©2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. Implications P. 70 – quote by Sigelman & Rider (2009) An individual brings unique characteristics to an environment & is influenced by the characteristics of others & situational conditions The purpose of the life narrative story is to discover how clients intentionally interact within segments of their environment. Counselors focus on career as a story to derive meaning from what the client views as important & unimportant. Attention is paid to chronology of events & implied meaning of those events. Attention is paid to how the story is told & constructed in order to establish a sense of client identity & to gain insight into future goals. Client conceptualizations, concepts and constructs are foci. Counselors assist clients in developing awareness of self from joint interpretations of narratives that brings meaning to the past & direction for the future. ©2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

Summary - Person-in-Environment Perspective Account for interactive influences over the life span Initial good fit between person & career may not continue Career development is both continuous & discontinuous Influence & changes are bi-directional between individuals & work environments & involve many factors; work environment changes occur very quickly in our world today People are active in their own development & are to assume responsibility for their development in all life roles, including in counseling Counselors should help clients explore the meaning & origins of core assumptions to more fully understand self, self-in situation, & self in multiple life roles; empower clients to challenge core assumptions that limit career options ©2016. Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.