Blog 3: Chp 3 & Duffy article

First, I thought the article by Duffy (2006) was really interesting.  Such that, studies found those who are highly religious or spiritual seem to be physically healthier.  Furthermore, these individuals experience higher job satisfaction than those with lower levels of spiritual and religious well-beings (Duff, 2006).  I never really thought about religion in the context of careers and how it affects us in our lives.  Also, it was helpful to understand the way spirituality was defined.  I think it is an important distinction to make between religion and spirituality.  I can imagine that some individuals would regard themselves as spiritual but not religious.  However, I think it would be interesting to pull out the spirituality aspect to some of the studies and just determine someone’s religious well-being.  Because by the very definition given in the studies it would seem appropriate that people with high spiritual well-beings would be more satisfied in their jobs (and life in general).  For example, if one is spiritual they are invested in the community values, and well-being of others (Duffy, 2006) then it makes sense they would seek jobs that require social interaction; therefore, experiencing  a higher job satisfaction.

In this chapter the theories seem to acknowledge external influences that affect a person’s career choice.  The environment by which an individual functions cannot be taken out of context when deciding on a career (Brown, 2012).  Duffy’s (2006) article extends these theories by acknowledging a social construct by which people may or may not govern their lives.  In addition, he also highlights the impact religion and spirituality (part of the environment of an individual) has on an individual’s career.

Krumboltz’s theory discusses environmental conditions and events, learning experiences, and task approach skills (Brown, 2012).  First, I thought how environmental conditions are related to religion.  A person may want to be a model but is highly religious, thus he or she does not peruse this type of career because of the values learned by them through their religion.  They cannot separate out their environment from a career aspiration.  Rather, this individual may seek something more aligned with their values and beliefs.  Moreover, religions provide learning experiences, and according to Krumnoltz’s theory influence the current and future actions and decisions of an individual (Brown, 2012).  So, an individual decides to be a model; yet, the religious community by which they are a part of may reject him or her (punishment), thus not wanting to stick with this career choice.  Whereas, this same individual knows that helping people is praised in their religious community leading them to pick a career path of nursing.

Unlike the previous theories, learning, postmodern, and decision-making theories pay more attention to an individual’s environment, values, and beliefs and how these play into a career choice.  Overall, the article puts emphasis on religion and spirituality within an individual’s environment and how those constructs and beliefs influence careers.

Brown, D. (2012).  Career information, career counseling, and career development (10th ed.). New York: Pearson Education, Inc.

Duffy, R. D. (2006). Spirituality, religion, and career development: Current status and future directions. The Career Development Quarterly, 55, 55-63.