Lecture 1: Career Psychology in South Africa PDF

Lecture 1 The emergence of career psychology in South Africa: A socio-historical perspective  Nicholas, Naidoo & Pretorius 2006 TED Talk Video: The Psychology of Careers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4e6KSaCxcHs Career psychology in SA is drawn from two main sources of origin:...

Lecture 1 The emergence of career psychology in South Africa: A socio-historical perspective  Nicholas, Naidoo & Pretorius 2006 TED Talk Video: The Psychology of Careers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4e6KSaCxcHs Career psychology in SA is drawn from two main sources of origin: 1. Mainstream psychology (European and American psychologies) 2. Vocational psychology (American psychology) Previously rooted in hegemonic capitalist economic systems, policies and practices in Europe until the turn of the century (post Industrial Revolution) when the growing need for social reform and humanitarianism developed in the US which led to the focus on the needs and interests of previously exploited workers THE ORIGINS, GROWTH AND TRANSITION OF CAREER PSYCHOLOGY IN SA Traditional basis of career psychology centred on choosing a vocation 3 steps of career counselling the basis for trait factor theory and career guidance, outlined in Parsons (1909): Understand worker’s self, aptitude, Understanding different Person-job fit, abilities, interests, resources, lines of work matching individual traits to work limitations and other qualities i.e. task requirements, advantages + specifications disadvantages, pay, opportunities, etc.  Parsons’s conceptual framework ignited a national interest in career guidance: Frank Parsons’s Helping workers choose jobs that matched their abilities and interests contributions Provide guidance to school leavers to find suitable Spearheading the employment career guidance Contributions to theory development (trait and factor movement which theory) and the development of career guidance as a sought to prevent the field of practice exploitation of Further momentum driven by differential psychology workers by bringing which emphasised the identification of personality traits in reforms in through scientific measurement education and social institutions  Use of tests for various assessment purposes… career assessment, selection, placement and guidance at school, in industry and the army 1 Intelligence tests Click to edit text 2 Click to edit text Vocational tests Parsons’s conceptual framework ignited an interest 3 Click to edittests Aptitude text in career guidance and the advent of differential psychology and its emphasis on identifying personality traits through scientific 4 Click to edit text Personality inventories measurement / psychometric movement  TEDx Talk video of “The Psychology of Careers” by Sharon Belden Castonguay Link to the video is available on Moodle site or go to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4e6KSaCxcHs  Discussion What led you to choose your current course of study, and how did you decide it was the right fit for you?  Discussion How can career counsellors better understand their clients during career counselling?  Discussion What should career counsellors consider about people when helping them make career decisions? What should inform career decision-making/career choice?  The essence of career psychology Earlier formulation of career guidance movement focused on introducing reforms in education to counter against the exploitation of workers by helping workers choose work that matches their abilities and interests Post WWII educational Development of theoretical Psychometrics: Development planning and vocational perspectives in career Parsons conceptual Differential psychology: of personality inventories, guidance needed psychology providing framework for career identifying personality intelligence, vocational and by servicemen to re- traits through measurement insights into development counselling/guidance aptitude tests integrate gave rise to further stages and associated development of applied transitional task psychology + measurement New conceptualisations about career Testing use strengthened in the following development and occupational choice by areas various career theorists whose theories Career assessment became milestones in career psychology Career guidance Ginzburg, Roe and Super as well as Selection Holland, Tiedeman, Krumboltz and Bordin Placement were prominent career theorists  Discussion: Do early career psychology theories still influence career guidance practices today? Emergence of career psychology in South Africa Period Significant events Early seminal influences in South Africa Industrial revolution in SA and arrival of European immigrants (colonisation) 1760-1840 Discovery of diamonds and growth of mining industry - emerging tech advancements and mechanisation altering the nature of work Factories and mines replacing farm work New technical skills and labour required White Afrikaners moving out of rural settlements after the exodus of the Anglo Boer Wars (1889 – 1902) and urban towns were growing Social reforms and affirmative action in response to the 1930s economic depression aimed to address the poor conditions of white urban communities Job reservation during the Apartheid era Large-scale engineering to protect interests of European settlers and white minority From 1940s privilege (including social and economic legislation) Careers and vocation select to white population Specific occupation privileges to certain races non-whites while black people limited to the lowest skilled and lowest paid jobs Education for social control Education used as a gatekeeping tool to regulate career development During Apartheid Racism entrenched in education system i.e. “native education” Period Significant events Formal and informal career and guidance service Career guidance advice service introduced by NICG* for white people structures Psychometrics and research provided ‘scientific’ basis for inferiorisation of black people Universities began to provide career guidance to students in 1980s and became professionalised, SSCSA* established as formal professional body providing counselling, career guidance and development Role of non-governmental organisations Soweto uprising in 1976 highlighted student protests against Bantu education NGOs emerged providing educational and vocational guidance to communities and support to teachers The post-1994 policy and legislation context Government focused on redressing imbalance caused by job reservation and other measures that unfairly favoured white people Legislation and policies passed impacting, education, training and labour Challenges facing career psychology in South Africa Career psychology has the potential to improve education and working lives of all people, and make a contribution towards social justice issues in the country NICG National Institute for Career Guidance SSCSA Society for Student Counselling in Southern Africa  Discussion: How was career psychology used to exclude people from the job market in Apartheid South Africa?  “White people acquired skills while black people had been excluded from meaningful economic participation.” – Nonkululeko Gobodo First black woman to qualify as a CA in South Africa  Discussion: How do career psychology practitioners engage in career interventions nowadays?  Discussion: How do old South African laws still impact career development for people today?  Legislation and policies post-1994 The Labour Relations Act (1995) The Employment Equity Act (1995) The Basic Conditions of Employment Act (1997) The Skills Development Act (1998) The National Youth Development Agency Act (2008) and National Youth Policy What role did career guidance play during the Apartheid era? Discuss the involvement of NGOs in the provision of career guidance in black communities and how this contributed to the fight against Apartheid. Why were new policies and legislation introduced by the new government in 1994? How do some of these policies affect career psychology, guidance and development today? What are some of the new social challenges that career psychology professionals likely to be met with in the provision of their services nowadays?