Across the miles: International Collaborative Research

Across the miles:International Collaborative Research Mark Watson Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University South Africa Mary McMahon The University of Queensland Australia Jenny Bimrose Institute for Employment Research, University of Warwick England

International Collaborative Research Research Projects Career development of children and adolescents Narrative career counselling and qualitative career assessment Women’s career development

International Collaborative Research Milestones – Mark and Mary (2000 – 2011) Publications (2003 – 2011 published or in press ) Books co-edited: 1 published; 1 in press Book chapters: 13 Journal articles: 24 (4 with students) Qualitative career assessment instrument: 1 published; 1 submitted Visits: 7 to Australia; 4 to South Africa Co-supervision: 10 Masters; 2 Doctorates (1 NMMU; 1 UQ) Conference Presentations: 30

International Collaborative Research Milestones – Mark , Mary and Jenny (2009 – 2011) Publications (2010 - 2011 published or in press/preparation) Books co-authored: 1 published Book chapters: 3 in preparation Journal articles: 1 published; 2 in preparation Conference Presentations: 8 Visits: 4 (England, Australia, South Africa)

Career Development of Children and Adolescents Mark Watson, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, South Africa Mary McMahon, The University of Queensland, Australia

International Collaborative ResearchCareer Development of Children and Adolescents Research Output (2003 – 2011) Books: 1 co-edited in preparation Book chapters: 2 Journal articles: 10 Qualitative career assessment instrument: 1 Computerised career guidance program for children – doctoral research; commercial product

International Collaborative ResearchCareer Development of Children and Adolescents Key Features Redressing a critical gap in the literature internationally and in South Africa Research across neglected populations – cultural, rural and low socioeconomic (South Africa, Australia, China) RCAS – translated into Xhosa, Turkish Moved towards practical application through a computerised career guidance program

International Collaborative Research Career Development of Children and Adolescents Occupational Gender Stereotyping of Black Low Socioeconomic Urban & Rural South African Children An example of postgraduate student research Aim: To explore, describe and compare the occupational gender stereotyping of male and female, urban and rural, Xhosa-speaking South African upper elementary children Method: Quantitative, exploratory, descriptive, comparative Participants: 292 rural (154 girls, 138 boys) and 274 urban (157 girls, 117 boys) Grades 5 to 7 students

International Collaborative Research Career Development of Children and Adolescents Measure Self-report questionnaire, The Revised Career Awareness Survey (RCAS; McMahon & Watson, 2001) 2 of 5 sections used in research Occupational gender stereotyping from self-generated lists of occupations Occupational gender stereotyping from prescribed lists of occupations Most questions are open-ended Questionnaires provided in English and Xhosa

International Collaborative Research Career Development of Children and Adolescents Results Occupations Men Cannot Do per Type: Total Rural and Urban Samples Most occupations that men could not do were of a Realistic type for the rural and of a Social type for the urban samples The most frequently named Realistic occupations by the rural sample were of a practical, domestic nature (e.g., washing dishes or cleaning the house) The most frequently named Social occupations by the urban sample were gender traditional occupations such as nurse

International Collaborative Research Career Development of Children and Adolescents Results Occupations Men Can Do per Type: Total Rural and Urban Samples Most occupations that men can do were Realistic for both rural and urban samples, with construction worker, gardener, mine worker and mechanic amongst the most frequently named There is little difference in the occupational gender stereotypes between the rural and urban samples for this question

International Collaborative ResearchCareer Development of Children and Adolescents Research conclusions Both rural and urban Xhosa-speaking upper elementary children: Limit the occupational range they believe men and women can and cannot do Evidence stereotyping of occupations along gender traditional lines While there was similar evidence of occupational gender stereotyping across rural and urban samples, emerging differences need to be contextually understood: Rural children believed women could do Realistic occupations, but defined these largely as domestic practical activities

Narrative Career Counselling and Qualitative Career Assessment Mary McMahon, The University of Queensland, Australia Mark Watson, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, South Africa

International Collaborative ResearchThe University of Queensland Public University Founded on 10 December 1909 37952 students from 113 countries 2408 academic staff 3 main campuses 7 Faculties 6 Institutes School of Education 27 Academics 1500 students

International Collaborative ResearchNarrative Career Counselling and Qualitative Career Assessment Research Output (2003 – 2011) Books: 2 co-edited Book chapters: 11 Journal articles: 14 Qualitative career assessment instrument: 2

International Collaborative ResearchNarrative Career Counselling and Qualitative Career Assessment Key Features Cutting edge and innovative Alternative to dominant paradigm Original formulations Applied research Connectedness between theory, research and practice Culturally sensitive – international application translated into Dutch, Chinese, Icelandic, French

International Collaborative ResearchNarrative Career Counselling and Qualitative Career Assessment Adolescent career development: Listening to the voices of adolescent and their parents An example of postgraduate student research Aim: To explore systemic influences on the career development of a sample of middle-class Black South African male adolescents from the perspectives of both the adolescents and their parents Method: Qualitative, exploratory, descriptive, comparative

International Collaborative ResearchNarrative Career Counselling and Qualitative Career Assessment Participants: 3 middle class Grade 11 students (16 years old) and their biological parents (total n = 9) Measure

International Collaborative ResearchNarrative Career Counselling and Qualitative Career Assessment Data collection: two stage process Individual completion of the MSCI (adolescent) booklet by adolescents and parents Individual follow-up of semi-structured interviews (guided by MSCI findings) with all adolescents and parents Data Analysis: two-step process MSCI – themes were identified within and across participant groups (sons, fathers, mothers) Semi-structured interviews – qualitative analysis using Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA)

International Collaborative Research Narrative Career Counselling and Qualitative Career Assessment

International Collaborative ResearchNarrative Career Counselling and Qualitative Career Assessment An Example Gary Collett Aim: To explore systemic influences on the career development of a sample of middle-class Black South African male adolescents from the perspectives of both the adolescents and their parents Method: Qualitative, Exploratory, descriptive, comparative Participants: 3 Grade 11 students (16 years old) and their biological parents (total n = 9)

International Collaborative ResearchNarrative Career Counselling and Qualitative Career Assessment Thematic Analysis Superordinate Themes Family Dynamics The Ghost of Apartheid Great Expectations “Coconuts Fall Far from the Tree” * * a metaphor used by all parents in the present research in their attempt to redress the phenomenon of acculturation

International Collaborative ResearchNarrative Career Counselling and Qualitative Career Assessment Results: Great Expectations Considerable parental pressure for adolescent to choose careers that gain parental improvement “It has happened. It really has happened! I can’t lie that it started. I think it was last or the year before, my dad started mapping out my (career) decisions for me and it was kind of weird because it was really not the stuff that I wanted to go into.” Patrick (16 years, pseudonym)

International Collaborative ResearchNarrative Career Counselling and Qualitative Career Assessment Research conclusions 16 years since the demise of apartheid and the birth of the present adolescents, the impact of apartheid is still evident in individual career development The research relationship between the Systems Theory Framework (STF) of career development, its career assessment measure (the MSCI), and Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) suggests innovative methodologies for qualitative career research

Women’s Career Development Jenny Bimrose, Institute for Employment Research, University of Warwick, England Mary McMahon, The University of Queensland, Australia Mark Watson, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, South Africa

International Collaborative ResearchUniversity of Warwick 22,648 students (Undergraduate 12,823; Postgraduate 9,825; 6,088 overseas) Established 1965 979 academics & 692 researchers 5 Faculties 35,131 applicants: 4,142 intake (2010) 7th in the RAE (2008) out of 110 Institute for Employment Research Established 1981 – specialist research

International Collaborative Research Women’s Career Development Research Output (2010 – 2011) Books: 1 co-authored Book chapters: 3 in preparation Journal articles: 1 published; 2 in preparation

International Collaborative Research Women’s Career Development Key Features Cutting edge and innovative Focused on a neglected population i.e., older women Applied research Connectedness between theory, research and practice Challenges established theoretical paradigms and research methodologies Interdisciplinary (psychology, education, sociology) International application Semi-structured interview translated into Italian, Spanish, and German

International Collaborative Research Women’s Career Development Older Women’s Work and Learning Pathways: Stories of Transition and Adaptability Aim: To investigate the career stories of older women in contrasting labour market contexts Method: Qualitative, cross-country case study comparison

International Collaborative Research Women’s Career Development Participants Aged 45 – 65 45 - 50 (25); 51 - 55 (17); 56 - 60 (8); 61 – 65 (10) Marital status Married (31); Divorced (5); Widowed (3); Single (21) Educational level Sub-Degree (14); Degree (22); Postgraduate (17); Doctorate (7) Employment status Full time (32); Part time (11); Self-employed (6); Retired (3); Unemployed (4); Vocation (1); Student (3)

International Collaborative Research Women’s Career Development Data analysis Thematic analysis: Master Codes Learning across the lifespan Transitions and responses Intrapersonal Influences Work Influences Financial Influences Social Influences Relocation Advice to Others Future Planning

International Collaborative Research Women’s Career Development Research conclusions Possibilities for career guidance and counselling support How relevant is career theory?

International Collaborative Research Women’s Career Development Research conclusions What could be the role of professional career support? Holistic approaches Narrative approaches Approaches that value the subjective and emotional experience of career transition A safe space Systemic interventions (e.g., familial, organisational, policy levels) Range of roles for career development practitioners (e.g., advocacy)

International Collaborative Research Women’s Career Development Research conclusions Underpinning philosophies that inform career guidance need to be considered in relation to the cultural context, before considering practice implications. Tension between the need for mass outreach and the need for individualised focus needs resolution in practice. Need to find a resolution between imposed theory and grounded theory - Our research on women in developing and developed countries is definitely framed in a grounded theory approach.

International Collaborative Research Women’s Career Development Research conclusions Timeframe expectations for developing career guidance frameworks. Implementation of career guidance will involve considering macro and micro-systemic contextual pressures in terms of delivery, theory, research and policy. Need to consider role definitions in the provision of career guidance in developing country contexts, specifically the role of activist in relation to career development practitioners, educationalists and policy makers.

International Collaborative Research Benefits Collaboration Research output International profile Friendship Difficulties Distance, distance, distance

International Collaborative Research What we have learned: The importance of a strong foundation The importance of process Building a strong working relationship Commitment to mutual goals Look for opportunities

International Collaborative Research Thank you Enkosi Baie dankie mark.watson@nmmu.ac.za marylmcmahon@uq.edu.au Jenny.Bimrose@warwick.ac.uk

Across the miles: International Collaborative Research