Social Constructionism in Vocational Psychology and Career Development

"e;The contemporary world-of-work makes demands upon the field of career development and vocational psychology to ensure that theories and practices retain their relevance amidst the complexity of work and learning in people's lives. Social Constructionism is the emerging paradigm that can reformulate theories and practices of career development that have come before. Social Constructionism opens new perspectives and raises questions about phenomena that have captured the imagination of scholars and practitioners for a century. In this fourth book in the Sense Career Development Series, a host of international authors open the window of Social Constructionism to reveal the challenges that lay ahead in the next generation of research and practice. This little book is ideal for the graduate scholar, researcher, and seriously curious practitioner who seek to understand Social Constructionism, the questions it raises, and how those questions may be answered. Readers will be challenged to think hard, review their assumptions, and see the world of work and learning anew. The rewards are worth the effort."e;

"The contemporary world-of-work makes demands upon the field of career development and vocational psychology to ensure that theories and practices retain their relevance amidst the complexity of work and learning in people's lives. Social Constructionism is the emerging paradigm that can reformulate theories and practices of career development that have come before. Social Constructionism opens new perspectives and raises questions about phenomena that have captured the imagination of scholars and practitioners for a century. In this fourth book in the Sense Career Development Series, a host of international authors open the window of Social Constructionism to reveal the challenges that lay ahead in the next generation of research and practice. This little book is ideal for the graduate scholar, researcher, and seriously curious practitioner who seek to understand Social Constructionism, the questions it raises, and how those questions may be answered. Readers will be challenged to think hard, review their assumptions, and see the world of work and learning anew. The rewards are worth the effort."

Preface; Foreword; Author Biographies; 1. An Introduction to Social Constructionism in Vocational Psychology and Career Development; 2. Social Constructionist Theories in Vocational Psychology; 3. Self in Work as a Social/Cultural Construction; 4. An Interdisciplinary View of Social Constructionist Vocational Psychology; 5. Extending the Metaphor of Narrative to Dialogical Narrator; 6. Career Development Through Participation: Insights from Vygotsky; 7. A Critique of Career Discourse Practices; 8. Being, Knowing, and Doing: A Model for Reflexivity in Social Constructionist Practices; Subject Index; Author Index.