ECADOC Summer School Malta 2019

1. The gap between theory and reality as a generator of social injusticeDr. Marcelo Afonso RibeiroUniversity of São Paulo (Brazil) ECADOC Summer School Malta 2019 The laborers Tarsila do Amaral (1886-1973) Modernism

2. Brazilian EAP BRAZIL DATA (2018) – WORKING WORLD (ILO, 2018) Employment rate – 53.6% General unemployment rate – 13.1% Youth unemployment rate – 27.3% General unemployment rate without high school diploma – 20.4% General unemployment rate with college degree – 6.2% Average income – US$365 LEVEL OF EDUCATION No high school diploma – 51% College degree – 15.3% NEET – 23% Informal work rate – 37.1% International Labour Office (ILO) (2018). World employment and social outlook: Trends 2018. Geneva, Switzerland: International Labour Office - ILO.

3. Brazilian EAP Career development of most people is characterised by informal discontinuous trajectories, and not restricted to having an employment. Ribeiro M. A., Silva, F. F., & Figueiredo, P. M. (2016). Discussing the notion of decent work: senses of working for a group of Brazilian workers without college education. Frontiers in Psychology, 7.

4. Scientific and Political Dilemma The traditional target population of career guidance and counselling not correspond to most of youngers and adult workers in Brazil Theories are usually developed by a sample of white and middle-class people of whom career development is mainly characterised by continuous paths accomplished in formal jobs This does not fit vulnerable groups from the global North and most people of the global South This poses a dilemma for researchers and practitioners UNDERSTAND AND ASSIST A SMALL PART OF PEOPLE OR EXPAND RESEARCHES AND INTERVENTIONS FOR THE ENTIRE POPULATION? Leong, F. T., & Pearce, M. (2011). Desiderata: Towards indigenous models of vocational psychology. International Journal for Educational and Vocational Guidance, 11(2), 65-77.

5. Scientific and Political Dilemma EXPAND THEORIES AND PRACTICES OR NOT? YES We need to rethink theories and reconstruct practices Taking a political action to include all THE PERSONAL AND THE POLITICAL IN CAREER GUIDANCE

6. Main Goals Discuss the discrepancy between theory and reality in career guidance and counselling Discuss the relations between power and production of knowledge, as well as our role as researchers in this process Propose some principles to extend the explanatory power of the theories in a contextualised way

7. Psychosocial Perspective SOCIAL CONSTRUCTIONISM David Blustein Donna Schultheiss Hanoch Flum Psychological and social continuum PSYCHOLOGICAL SOCIAL DIMENSION DIMENSION Ribeiro, M. A. (2017). Reflecting upon reality in a psychosocial manner. In A. M. Columbus (Ed.), Advances in psychology research. Volume 132 (pp. 113-143). New York, NY: Nova. Silva, F. F., Paiva, V. & Ribeiro, M. A. (2016). Career construction and reduction of psychosocial vulnerability: Intercultural career guidance based on Southern epistemologies. Journal of the National Institute for Career Education and Counselling, 36, 46-53.

8. Intercultural Dialogue and Hybridism Boaventura de Sousa Santos (2014) Intercultural dialogue The production of knowledge is always built on the relationship of all the social actors involved in a given context  Bruno Latour (1993) Hybridism World is built on the reproduction of knowledge and on ways of being and acting. However, new links between existing ways of being and acting may emerge and create hybrids. Latour, B. (1993). We have never been modern. Cambridge, MA: Harvard. Santos, B. S. (2014) Epistemologies of the South: Justice against epistemicide, Boulder, Colorado: Paradigm.

9. Power and production of knowledge Who legitimises who? Who produces knowledge? Who is authorised to produce knowledge? Does science produce data derived from everyday information based on scientific legitimacy? Or, does science assist in the production of data together with agents of daily life based on scientific and daily legitimacy? Which is the role of research participants? Are they source of information that will be collected by the researcher or are they someone who will help in the production of knowledge? EXAMPLE OF RESEARCHING BASED ON INTERCULTURAL DIALOGUE

10. Power and production of knowledge Boaventura de Souza Santos (2014) Diatopical hermeneutics The scientific knowledge establishes a dialogue with the knowledge of everyday life Who is authorised to produce knowledge? Who has their production of knowledge legitimised? What is kind of knowledge we are producing and for whom? CAREER CONCEPT AS AN EXAMPLE Santos, B. S. (2014) Epistemologies of the South: Justice against epistemicide, Boulder, Colorado: Paradigm.

11. Main Issues of Career Concept CAREER CONCEPT AS AN EXAMPLE 1) Career epistemological and theoretical basis is universalised, de-contextualised and imposes a way of knowing and being (Arulmani, 2014; Irving, 2010) 2) It privileges universalisms over localisms and consider localism just an example of cultural diversity (Sultana, 2018) 3) It considers mainstream theories as neutral constructions and grounded on a supposed official version of reality imposing a dominant symbolic system (Irving, 2010; Sultana, 2018). Arulmani, G. (2014). Career guidance and livelihood planning. Indian Journal of Career and Livelihood Planning, 3(1), 9-11. Irving, B. A. (2010). (Re)constructing career education as a socially just practice: An antipodean reflection. International Journal for Educational and Vocational Guidance, 10(1), 49-63. Sultana, R. (2018). Responding to diversity: Lessons for career guidance from the global South. Indian Journal of Career and Livelihood Planning, 7(1), 48-51.

12. Main Issues of Career Concept CAREER CONCEPT AS AN EXAMPLE 4) It presents theories “culturally biased, thus creating barriers in recognising the needs of clients who come from a different culture” (Launikari & Puukari, 2005, p. 31). 5) It focuses on persons regardless of social and cultural context, what draws attention to the individualism-collectivism issue (Hooley & Sultana, 2016; Irving, 2010). 6) It fails to recognise differences and diversity. Blustein, D. L. (2013). The psychology of working: A new perspective for a new era. In D. L. Blustein (Ed.), The Oxford handbook of the psychology of working (pp. 3-18). New York, NY: Oxford University Press. Hooley, T., & Sultana, R. G. (2016). Career guidance for social justice. Journal of the National Institute for Career Education and Counselling, 36, 2-11. Launikari, M., & Puukari, S. (2005). Multicultural guidance and counselling. Jyväskylä, Finland: Institute for Educational Research.

13. Main Issues of Career Concept CAREER CONCEPT AS AN EXAMPLE 7) These theories were developed in stable and safe socio-economic contexts as distinct from those generally characterised by vulnerability, informality and instability (Leong & Pearce, 2011) 8) These theories are usually grounded on freedom of choice. This might be restricted in many contexts by socioeconomic conditions, religious values, and duties to the family (Arulmani, Bakshi, Flederman, & Watts, 2011). 9) Mainstream theories disregarded that there are different ways to be human and live in the world (Sultana, 2018). Arulmani, G., Bakshi, A. J., Flederman, P., & Watts, A. G. (2011). East and West: Exploring new concepts for career guidance. International Journal for Educational and Vocational Guidance, 11(2), 61-64. Leong, F. T., & Pearce, M. (2011). Desiderata: Towards indigenous models of vocational psychology. International Journal for Educational and Vocational Guidance, 11(2), 65-77. Sultana, R. (2018). Responding to diversity: Lessons for career guidance from the global South. Indian Journal of Career and Livelihood Planning, 7(1), 48-51.

14. Importing Theories and the Disparity with Reality Who would therefore have a career? (Ribeiro & Fonçatti, 2017) Such career theories include socioeconomically privileged groups, mainly from the developed countries of the global North, and exclude vulnerable groups from the global North and the great majority of the global South’s population (Sultana, 2017). This has contributed to the disappearance of cultural differences from local contexts and has generated oppression and social injustice through the production of accepted knowledge, theories and practices. Ribeiro, M. A., & Fonçatti, G. O. S. (2017). The gap between theory and reality as a generator of social injustice. In T. Hooley, R. G. Sultana, & R. Thomsen (Eds.), Career guidance for social justice: Contesting neoliberalism (pp. 193-208). Abingdon, UK: Routledge. Sultana, R. G. (Ed.). (2017). Career guidance and livelihood planning across the Mediterranean challenging transitions in South Europe and the MENA region. Rotterdam, The Netherlands: Sense.

15. Ethical and Political Project What would be the main mission of science? Should science reproduce reality? Or, should science portray realities and seek to modify it? This issue demands an ethical and political positioning from the researchers. What do you wish with your research project? And, how will it make contributions for the society development or reconstruction? It is important to review the bases of your research in order to understand what the underlying ethical-political project would be

16. Ethical and Political Project How does your research project contribute to confront social injustice and foster social justice? How could we fight for social justice through research activity? Three ways At the political level At the academic level At the epistemological level What seems to be the main issue to be addressed at the epistemological level?

17. Global Cognitive Injustice Boaventura de Sousa Santos (2014) “Global social injustice is, therefore, intimately linked to global cognitive injustice. The struggle for global justice must therefore be a struggle for global cognitive justice as well” (p. 31-32). Cognitive justice is the idea that it is necessary to seek equality between different types of knowledge, scientific or not, of different cultural matrices, since it recognises that science as it is produced today serves to maintain social injustice among nations. So, it is necessary to recognise local context when constructing theories and concepts. Santos, B. S. (2014) Epistemologies of the South: Justice against epistemicide, Boulder, Colorado: Paradigm.

18. Producing Theories in Context Boaventura de Sousa Santos (2014) Intercultural perspective Paulo Freire (1970) Pedagogy of the oppressed Ignacio Martin-Baró (1994) Psychology of Liberation Bases to understand career theories and to consider epistemological diversity from different contexts Freire, P. (1970). Pedagogy of the oppressed. New York, NY: Continuum. Martín-Baró, I. (1994). Writings for a liberation psychology. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Santos, B. S. (2014) Epistemologies of the South: Justice against epistemicide, Boulder, Colorado: Paradigm.

19. Producing Theories in Context Boaventura de Sousa Santos (2014) Interculturality or intercultural dialogue Sometimes interventions in the global South requires epistemologies from the global South Ecology of knowledge All knowledge has limits and that their production should be accomplished by means of dialogue between different knowledge embodied in distinct social practices Theoretical approaches are social and cultural productions and, as a result, their premises and concepts are highly influenced by these factors Santos, B. S. (2014) Epistemologies of the South: Justice against epistemicide, Boulder, Colorado: Paradigm Publishers.

20. Producing Theories in Context Paulo Freire (1970) Theories must always occur in a dialogical manner with the context, and have “to be forged with others, not for others” (p. 32). Dialogical action happens when “subjects meet to transform the world into collaboration” (p. 165). The production of knowledge is always a continuous struggle between liberation and adaptation to oppressive logic. “No one set anyone free, no one set himself free: men liberate themselves in communion” (p. 32). Freire, P. (1970). Pedagogy of the oppressed. New York, NY: Continuum

21. Producing Theories in Context Ignácio Martin-Baró (1994) “All knowledge and practices are conditioned by the circumstances in which they occur and by the social forces that produce them” (p. 257). The basis of the psychology of liberation is the idea of “being oriented to and grounded on reality”, which is the starting and arrival point for any action, like researching (p. 10). “Uncritical acceptance of theories and models is precisely the negation of science’s own fundamental principles” (p. 20). Changes cannot be made from our offices; it has to come from a praxis that is committed to the people Martín-Baró, I. (1994). Writings for a liberation psychology. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

22. Producing Theories in Context “Valid knowledge is therefore contextualised knowledge; it is valid when it considers cultural differences and political differences... It should be oriented toward reality, which is taken both as a starting and an arrival point” (Silva, Paiva, & Ribeiro, 2016, p. 48) This is not with the intent of replacing it with another set of theories, but of enlarging it, so that these theories have explanatory power in other contexts, such as Brazil. Data coming from the context needs to be recognised by the scientists as explanations of a reality. Silva, F. F., Paiva, V. & Ribeiro, M. A. (2016). Career construction and reduction of psychosocial vulnerability: Intercultural career guidance based on Southern epistemologies. Journal of the National Institute for Career Education and Counselling, 36, 46-53.

23. Producing Theories in Context Working for social justice is also to work at the epistemological level to broaden the understanding of both the working world and career guidance and counselling in other contexts. This expansion involves understanding and reviewing the knowledge positions and powers established by the existing theories. CONCLUSION This allows for the co-construction of new narratives, practices and places within which all would have a career and be socially recognised as having a career. Santos, B. S. (2014) Epistemologies of the South: Justice against epistemicide, Boulder, Colorado: Paradigm Publishers.