Chapter 1 blog

One interesting discussion in the first chapter dealt with idea that people have the choice of whether or not they can better themselves by choosing a certain career. Blustein and colleagues as well as Prilleltensky criticized a traditional approach to career development, which emphasized that “goal-oriented change is possible—that is, people can choose to better themselves, and as a result, do so” (Brown, 2012, p. 7). This corresponds with a later discussion in the chapter regarding the Protestant work ethic—that is, if one works hard, they will be rewarded with success and prosperity. The problem with the Protestant work ethic, however, is its failure to consider discrimination based upon one’s gender, sexual orientation, race, and education level. According to Sue and Sue (2008), Whites do not want to accept the privileges that come with being White. Furthermore, most Whites perceive themselves as unbiased individuals who do not harbor racist, sexist, or homophobic thoughts and feelings. Interestingly, they become defensive when labeled as White.

Is the economic inequality in our country not alarming? There are still large differences between White workers and African American workers in unemployment rates, family income, and poverty level. According to the Brown textbook (2012), the unemployment rate for Whites is nearly half of that of African Americans (8.7% compared to 15%). In addition, the median family income for White families is around $43,000 while the median family income of African American families is just $33,000. These statistics should be alarming, as they highlight the social injustice that still occurs today. Also, the median income for men who work full-time is approximately $10,000 more per year than full-time working women.

The role of career counselors and the field of career development is so important because they can educate people about the opportunities that are available to them. I believe that there are many individuals in the United States today who would “better themselves” by getting an education if they had the resources (financial resources and knowledge of what resources are available to them). Unfortunately, there is an ongoing cycle that is difficult to break.  Attitudes about education and occupation are passed down from generation to generation within a family (Brown, 2012). Therefore, if a family has a history of low academic achievement and places little emphasis on the importance of educational attainment, it makes it difficult to get the proper resources into the hands of their children, those who have the opportunity to break the cycle. Many research studies have shown that education—reading skills in particular—is the fastest way out of poverty.

Going back to the earlier discussion of the Protestant work ethic, we can see that it is not just working hard that leads to success in life, but it is also important that one is given the opportunity to succeed. One important question that arises is “How can we equalize opportunities so that all people have access to a great education, and therefore, more job opportunities?” 

References:

Brown, D. (2012). Introduction to the global economy, social justice, and career development. In D. Brown (10th ed.). Career information, career counseling, and career development. (pp. 2-23.). New York: Pearson Education, Inc. 

Sue, D.W. & Sue, D. (2008). Counseling the culturally diverse: Theory and practice. (5^th ed.). New York: John Wiley & Sons.