Exploring Systemic Influences on Initial Career Decision Making

Exploring Systemic Influences on Initial Career Decision Making Ms Amanda van der Vyver Dr Marietjie Oswald amanda@avdv. co. za | mmoswald@sun. ac. za

�Background �Theoretical Framework �Methodology �Data collection and analysis �Findings �Conclusion �Recommendations

Background: Initial Career Choice �Acknowledge the term career adaptability �Linear development of career choice less relevant �Individuals more inclined to take part in interrupted, short term career paths �Initial career choice of Grade 12 learner refers to the first choice of career in their life span

Background | Importance of work �Career choice crucial decision in every individual’s life �Central part of one’s identity and an individual’s contact with reality �Brand (2002) identifies four important meanings of work • Social • Economic • Political • Ethical/moral

Background | Importance of Social Context � Career and work choice can not be effectively understood without understanding how social contexts and systems provide meaning and purpose to career decision-making processes (Perry, 2009). �South Africa • Influences are diverse • Resources and services offered to assist career decision making are diverse

�The apartheid dispensation, which had lasted for more than 45 years, had created great race -based inequalities in South Africa • 58% of all South Africans and in particular 68% of the black population were in poverty in 1995, while poverty was virtually non-existent for whites • Poverty and inequality still persist in South Africa and the unemployment rate is one of the highest in the world.

• The Gini score for South Africa is about 0. 60, comprising one of the most unequal income distributions in the world. • Almost all of the poor belong to the black or coloured groups • Majority of black learners in South Africa still are not receiving sufficient career counselling (Maree, 2008)

Life Orientation �Introduced into the school curriculum by the Department of Education �Aim to assist learners to deal more successfully with the challenges they face or will be facing in adult life �Career education forms integral part of the subject �Has the potential to act as protective factor in the career development of South African learners

Theoretical Framework �Career education and counselling in South Africa requires a contextual perspective �The Systems Theory Framework (STF) of Patton an Mc. Mahon makes way for the broader context in which individuals exist �The STF “attempt to embed school based career education within a theoretical framework which included the individual and the context” (Patton & Mc. Mahon, 2006)

Theoretical Framework �Meta-theoretical framework which strengthens the congruency between theory and practice �Accounts for situational and contextual influences in the developmental process �Influence describe intrapersonal and contextual factors , because it is a dynamic term capable of reflecting both content and process

Theoretical Framework �The STF provides a framework for inquiry into influences on career development within three Systems of Influence • Individual System of Influences • Social System of Influences • Environmental-Societal System of Influences �Also makes provision for process influences • Reciprocal interaction between systems • Change over time • Chance

Systems Theory Framework (STF)

The Study �Important that learners’ specific needs and limitations are known so relevant career information and services could be utilised in order to bridge the gaps caused by the learners’ contexts. �Gain insight into how learners make decisions regarding their careers and what aspects influence them in doing so

The Study �Furthermore, because the subject Life Orientation could be seen as a potential protective factor in learners’ career development , it was important to understand the influence there of in the career decisionmaking process of the participants.

Methodology �Purposeful sampling Details of schools School Amount of learners Language of Instruction Gender Socio-economic area 1 6 Afrikaans Mixed Medium to high 2 9 Afrikaans Mixed Low 3 8 Afrikaans Mixed Low 4 6 Afrikaans Mixed Low 5 11 English Mixed Low

Data collection �Focus group interview �Life line �My System of Career Influences (MSCI) Data analysis �Qualitative content analysis

Findings �Parson’s view of 1909 supported �Knowledge of self and the world of work intricate part of career decision �In addition, social and environmental systems played important roles

Findings �Communities with lower socio-economic status: environmental system in particular had a restrictive influence • Few alternatives to choose from • Limited exposure • Lack of information �Learners who had more resources to their disposal • Wide variety of alternatives to choose from • Motivated by self-fulfilment and career satisfaction

Findings �The following themes received attention • Individual influences, particularly self-knowledge and the implementation of the self in one’s career • Availability of career information • Life Orientation as subject • Socio-economic status of the community

Individual Influences �Self- and career knowledge regarded as important in order to come to an independent and informed career decision �Implementation of the self in the initial career choice varied across contexts �Higher socio-economic communities • career decisions in line with their interests, passions and abilities • Aspired to find a career that could offer self-fulfilment and career satisfaction

Individual Influences �Higher socio-economic communities • career decisions in line with their interests, passions and abilities • Aspired to find a career that could offer self-fulfilment and career satisfaction �Lower socio-economic communities • Passion not important consideration • Interest did not influence career choice

Individual Influences �Academic self-concept might influence career choice �Exposure to career-related activities • Lower socio-economic communities less opportunity to explore potential interest in different career fields • Higher socio-economic communities: exposure to certain activities created awareness of unrealistic career choices or stimulated interest in careers they were previously unaware of

Availability of career information �Learners did not always have enough information at their disposal �Insufficient information to make informed subject choices �Parents and immediate family important source of career information • Black parents from lower socio-economic communities had limited exposure to education and job opportunities, resulting in limited career information to pass on their children

Availability of career information �School primary source for career development �Majority of learners indicated that their schools were not doing enough to put relevant and sufficient career information at their disposal in order to make an informed career choice �This was especially true for black learners from lower socio-economic communities

The social system: Life Orientation as subject �Introduced to curriculum to address career education as an important outcome �Curriculum intentions often not realised in practice • Increased knowledge of the world of work but did not adequately assist with career choice • Insufficient information and support with regard to subject choice in Grade 9

Socio-economic status �Learners form lower socio-economic communities regarded financial security as an important factor in career decision making • Take care of current and/or future family • Escape the poverty in which they grew up

Conclusion �Different systems of influence impacted in unique ways on Grade 12 learners when making their initial career choice �Challenging for learners to navigate all the influences impacting on their career choice effectively. This was in particular difficult for learners when profoundly limited by systemic influences.

Conclusion �Life Orientation is not meeting the requirement to act as protective factor in career development, still leaving learners uninformed �The discrepancies between communities with different socio-economic backgrounds are still evident, with career education and guidance still less accessible to those who need it most

Conclusion �Recommended that the subject Life Orientation is applied to meet the needs of a specific context • Assessment of contextual limitations and needs before applying a ‘generic’ form of career education