Chapter 2

What I especially liked in the reading this week was the article by Gibson (2005) about creating a career genogram. Not only did this introduce an unfamiliar topic to me and lay a foundation for the project we are about to complete, but it also gave me an idea of something I can do with my future students, which was extremely beneficial. I am very intrigued about the different theories and self-concept as it relates to one’s career development. I found myself agreeing and resonating with a few of the theories more than others, such as Super’s Life Span, Life Space Theory and Gottfredson’s theory based on developmental stages as they relate to career development, both very interconnected.

According to Brown (2012), Super’s ever-changing theory lists 14 propositions in which he hopes an integrated theory will ultimately emerge. I again appreciated the 3 questions he presents that have been found useful in the counseling relationship: "What would you like to be if you could do anything you wanted? What do you expect to be 10 years from now? And what is the least you would settle for 10 years from now?" (Brown, 2012, p. 45). Like the information presented in Gibson’s article, this was valuable to me as a future school counselor. I understand Super’s reasoning behind each question and think they would definitely be necessary questions in understanding the student’s self-concept.

 Self-concept, as broadly defined by Super, is not only an internalized personal view of self, but also the individual’s view of their own environment (Brown, 2012, p. 43). To Super, this “mental picture of oneself” is greatly influenced by one’s position in the world of work. As I reflect on Super’s propositions I realize that what he is getting at is the idea of “you are what you do.” In our society we are so focused on labels and one of the first questions we ask someone that we meet is “What do you do?” We also tend to stereotype, which was discussed in the readings, specifically with gender role stereotyping in the world of work. Both Gottfredson and Gibson touched on this subject. Gibson (2005) notes that children seem to identify more with their mother’s occupation than their father’s, suggesting a relationship with gender-roles and occupation choice in children. Gottfredson suggests that career development programs should be designed to break down sex-role stereotypes and limitations on career choice because of social status (Brown, 2012, p. 52).  

I agree with Gottfredson. My hope is that our society can steer away from stereotyping and labeling people based on their occupations. Last class, my group discussed how we are all citizens and each person is contributing and helping someone in some way,  such as an auto mechanic who is an expert in fixing cars or a doctor who is saving lives. These occupations are on opposite sides of the spectrum as far as salary is concerned, making one less prestigious than the other, but in reality both are equally essential for day-to-day life in our society.

Brown, D. (2012). Trait-and-Factor and Developmental Theories of Career Choice and Development and their Applications. In Career Information, Career Counseling, and Career Development (10th ed., pp. 2-23). New York: Pearson Education, Inc.

Gibson, D. M. (2005). The Use of Genograms in Career Counseling with Elementary, Middle, and High School Students. The Career Development Quarterly, 53, 353-362.