Advancing Social Justice in Vocational Theory, Research, and Practice

2005 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 197-206 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fred H. Borgen
Keyword(s):  
Social Justice ◽  
Counseling Psychology ◽  
Vocational Psychology ◽  
Development Theory ◽  
Vocational Development ◽  
Research And Practice ◽  
Working Lives ◽  
Vocational Theory ◽  
Theory Research

David Blustein, Ellen Hawley McWhirter, and Justin Perry present a social justice agenda for action in vocational psychology in their article “An Emancipatory Communitarian Approach to Vocational Development Theory, Research, and Practice.” They build on robust work in counseling psychology over recent decades by using the critical work of Isaac Prilleltensky as a fulcrum for advancing this agenda. Much of their case effectively argues that we should move beyond tradition to improve the working lives of our clients. While their arguments are powerful, I suggest several ways to expand their discourse.

An Emancipatory Communitarian Approach to Vocational Development Theory, Research, and Practice

2005 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 141-179 ◽  
Author(s):  
David L. Blustein ◽  
Ellen Hawley McWhirter ◽  
Justin C. Perry
Keyword(s):  
Vocational Psychology ◽  
Development Theory ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Vocational Development ◽  
Psychological Practice ◽  
Research And Practice ◽  
The People ◽  
Vocational Theory ◽  
Psychology Theory ◽  
Theory Research

Building on recent calls for a more explicit and intentional endorsement of social justice goals within counseling psychology and vocational psychology, this article proposes Prilleltensky’s (1997) emancipatory communitarian approach to psychological practice as a useful framework for vocational theory, practice, and research. Such a framework emphasizes the distinction between the concepts of work and career and illuminates the extent to which traditional vocational psychology has attended to the needs of the people who experience little, if any, volition in their choices of career or line of work. We present a rationale for integrating an emancipatory communitarian approach into vocational psychology theory and the implications of this approach for future research and practice.

Global Work-Related Suffering as a Priority for Vocational Psychology

2005 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 207-214 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tod Sloan
Keyword(s):  
Vocational Psychology ◽  
Global Perspective ◽  
Development Theory ◽  
Vocational Development ◽  
Skill Sets ◽  
Research And Practice ◽  
Work Settings ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Global Work ◽  
Theory Research

Building on the recommendations in the article “An Emancipatory Communitarian Approach to Vocational Development Theory, Research, and Practice” by David Blustein, Ellen McWhirter, and Justin Perry, a critical and global perspective on the challenge facing vocational psychologists who adopt an emancipatory communitarian approach is developed. Attention to the most pressing needs of the global unemployed and working poor will be critical. Most psychologists already possess the skill sets that are required, but the roles will change from work that primarily sustains current socioeconomic systems to work that challenges the globalization of corporate consumerism through an insistence on participatory democracy in the work settings and the defense of the human rights of workers.

Positioning Classism Within Counseling Psychology's Social Justice Agenda

2007 ◽  
Vol 36 (6) ◽  
pp. 895-924 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Smith
Keyword(s):  
Social Justice ◽  
Counseling Psychology ◽  
Research And Practice ◽  
Theory Research ◽  
Deliberate Effort ◽  
Counseling Psychologists

Counseling psychologists have been instrumental in advancing a social justice agenda within the larger field of psychology. What is still missing within this agenda, however, is a fully developed consideration of classism within the spectrum of oppressions more commonly addressed in discussions of social justice and multiculturalism. The operations of classism can be difficult to see in a society that has long considered itself to be classless, and for counseling psychologists to undertake this work, they must initiate a deliberate effort to develop their awareness of classism as it affects their theory, research, and practice. In support of this end, the author presents a social justice conceptualization of classism, provides examples of classism at work, and outlines the resulting implications for counseling psychology practice.

Addressing Social Class and Classism in Vocational Theory and Practice

2005 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 189-196 ◽  
Author(s):  
William Ming Liu ◽  
Saba Rasheed Ali
Keyword(s):  
Social Justice ◽  
Social Class ◽  
Working Class ◽  
Upward Mobility ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Vocational Development ◽  
Research And Practice ◽  
Vocational Theory ◽  
Lower Status ◽  
Counseling Psychologists

The emancipatory communitarian approach to vocational development is congruent with previous calls to counseling psychologists to be oriented to social justice in their research and practice. However, even in the current emancipatory communitarian approach, an implicit upward mobility bias favors some vocations. To help understand how to better apply the emancipatory communitarian approach, a social class and classism framework is incorporated to explore how upward mobility bias distorts and ignores negative aspects of higher status and higher prestige jobs and does not recognize potential positive aspects of lower status and working-class jobs.

Social Justice

2005 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 180-188 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathy A. Gainor
Keyword(s):  
Social Justice ◽  
Social Cognitive Career Theory ◽  
Social Cognitive ◽  
Resistance To Change ◽  
Vocational Psychology ◽  
Development Theory ◽  
Psychology Theory ◽  
Critical Components ◽  
Theory Research ◽  
Social Cognitive Career

In response to the article “An Emancipatory Communitarian Approach to Vocational Development Theory, Research, and Practice” by David Blustein, Ellen Hawley McWhirter, and Justin Perry, this author discusses the moral imperative of a social justice approach to vocational psychology. Planning for and directly addressing the inevitable and necessary resistance to change are critical components of social justice work. Implications for vocational psychology theory, research, and training are discussed, including the application of social cognitive career theory.

Revisiting Feminist Identity Development Theory, Research, and Practice

2002 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 6-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bonnie Moradi ◽  
Linda Mezydlo Subich ◽  
Julia C. Phillips
Keyword(s):  
Identity Development ◽  
Historical Context ◽  
Empirical Literature ◽  
Development Theory ◽  
Feminist Identity ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Research And Practice ◽  
Feminist Identity Development ◽  
Psychology Theory ◽  
Theory Research

The model of feminist identity development proposed by Downing and Roush in 1985 is revisited as a potentially useful framework in counseling psychology theory, research, and practice. An examination of the historical context from which the model arose illustrates how it advanced theory in the psychology of women. A critical review of the extant empirical literature is generally supportive of the model's original tenets and is indicative of its promise for application to practice. However; measurement and methodological concerns point to the need for more research, especially on the model's relevance to more diverse populations. Recent social and scientific advances inform future directions for theory, research, and practice.

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