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The New Career Studies: Metaphor in Theory and Teaching. Kerr Inkson University of Waikato ICSS, University of Reading, 22 Sept 2009. News about the Study of Careers. The bad news
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The New Career Studies: Metaphor in Theory and Teaching Kerr Inkson University of Waikato ICSS, University of Reading, 22 Sept 2009
News about the Study of Careers • The bad news • vast gaps of non-communication currently separate discipline-based approaches to theory, research and study in careers (Arthur, 2008; Collin & Patton, in press). • The good news • new initiatives are being taken to begin to unite different disciplinary approaches to careers under the single banner of “career studies” (Arthur, 2008; Gunz & Peiperl, 2007; University of Reading, 2009) • Metaphor can assist this integration
Birkbeck 1964 • Fmj • Vg • Ps • Ot • Fjm • Ws • Ed • Wcr
Birkbeck • Fitting the Man to the Job • Vocational guidance • Personnel selection • Operator training • Fitting the Job to the Man • Work study • Equipment design • Working conditions and rewards • THE “FIT” METAPHOR
Problems with the 1964 Birkbeck/FIT view of careers • Atheoretical • Implicit sexism • Directive counselling • Over-rigid vocationalism • Context limited to “job” • Decision-making model of career • Need to develop more sophisticated thinking
Aston • From practice to theory: from “jobs” to wider contexts • The functioning of organizations in their contexts and of groups and individuals within their organizations • Organizations as the context for careers • Mechanistic and organic organizations • THE “ROLE” METAPHOR
Books from the Seventies and Eighties • Gail Sheehy, Passages (1976) • Daniel Levinson et al., The Seasons of a Man’s Life (1978) • [THE CYCLE METAPHOR] • Ed Schein, Career Dynamics (1978) • Peters and Waterman, In Search of Excellence (1982) • [THE RESOURCE METAPHOR] • Tom Peters, Thriving on Chaos (1985) • [THE TURBULENCE METAPHOR] • Gareth Morgan, Images of Organization (1986) • [MULTIPLE METAPHORS]
“Career Studies” • Can we speak about a unified “career studies”? • Three separate traditions in career studies, implying three client groups • Sociological (policy makers, activists) • Vocational psychological (career actors, counsellors) • Organizational (organizations, HR managers) • Can we develop unified models? • Importance of career studies in education • Career is a universal experience • Career is one of the most important elements in most lives • Why do we teach U/Gs “management”, but not “self-management”?
Moves in the Right Direction • Patton and McMahon, Career Development and Systems Theory: A New Relationship, 1999 • Collin & Young (eds), The Future of Career, 2000 • Reardon, Lenz, Sampson & Peterson, Career Planning and Development: A comprehensive approach, 2006. • Greenhaus & Callanan (eds), Encyclopaedia of Career Development, 2006. • Gunz & Peiperl (eds), Handbook of Career Studies, 2007 • Inkson, Understanding Careers, 2007. • Arthur, “Examining contemporary careers: A call for interdisciplinary inquiry”, Human Relations, 2008. • Collin & Patton (eds), Vocational psychological and organisational perspectives on career: Towards a multidisciplinary dialogue. In press.
A careers studies dream • Undergraduate career studies course available to, and taken by, students from any discipline • Postgraduate career studies courses available to graduates in psychology, education, counselling and business
Possible features of a career studies curriculum • Comprehensive • Interdisciplinary • Case study supported • Personal • Self-analytical (?) • Utilizing contemporary media • etc
Elements in a Career Studies Syllabus • The context of careers • Economic, labour market, technological, institutional, social etc • Career landscapes and boundaries, e.g. professional, organizational, industry, geographical, psychological, gender, etc. • Work-nonwork interface and balance • Adult development and life-cycle • Psychology of individual differences • Abilities, aptitudes, personality, interests etc • Relationship to work roles and occupations • Career decision making • Work-role transitions • Career structures and types • Occupational, organizational, boundaryless etc • Career success – objective and subjective • Careers and organizations, including HRM • Careers and networks • Career practice – planning, improvisation and action
Chapters in “Understanding Careers” • Chapter 1: Careers and metaphors • Chapter 2: Careers as inheritances • Chapter 3: Careers as cycles • Chapter 4: Careers as action • Chapter 5: Careers as fit • Chapter 6: Careers as journeys • Chapter 7: Careers as roles • Chapter 8: Careers as relationships • Chapter 9: Careers as resources • Chapter 10: Careers as stories • Chapter 11: Careers in practice • Chapter 12: Career counselling and metaphor