Class 3/ Chapter 3 & Religion/ Spirituality Article

After reading Duffy’s (2006) article and chapter three in Brown’s (2012) text, there seemed to be a commonality in the emphasis of the impact of interdependent influences on one’s career development process. Throughout class on September 11^th, we discussed personal and cultural influences through Holland’s Theory of Vocational Personalities and Work Environments, exploring each of his six personality traits. The theory suggested that once a consistent personality type was determined, the career-seeker must choose a career and career environment consistent with personality type. Congruence and job satisfaction will be supported once the explorer aligns personality type with a matching career and work environment. Holland noted that personality type was influenced by many sources including parents, other life figures, and culture which “reinforce certain types of performance” throughout exploration (Brown, 2012). Holland’s ideas support the concept that career exploration is influenced by internal and external factors, interdependently relating the person, their environment, and their previous experiences.

Duffy (2006) examined spirituality and religion as influential factors in the career development process. The presence of religious or spiritual beliefs often influences perception and interpretation of our environment and experiences (Duffy, 2006). Duffy (2006) noted that people who have strong religious beliefs may consider the true meaning of vocation, viewing their career destiny as a true calling from God. Duffy (2006) describes spirituality, not as religious experiences, but as guiding factors, leading to the betterment of one’s self and human kind. Duffy referenced Witmer and Sweeney’s Holistic Model of Wellness, which suggests that religious and spiritual beliefs influence one’s values, supply purpose in life, and support guide goal-directed behaviors for one’s self and environment (Witmer & Sweeney, 1992 as cited in Duffy, 2006). Duffy also mentions Adams and Csiernik, who discuss workplace spirituality as an interconnected system where employees are influenced to unite “the talents and energies of people in meaningful goal-directed behavior that enables them to belong, be creative, be personally fulfilled, and take ownership in their combined destiny” (Adams & Csiernik, 2002 as cited in Duffy, 2006). These ideas suggest that we are always receiving influences from interconnected sources, affecting our career development process.

Brown mentioned Bloch’s Chaos Theory of Career Development, which is based on the principle that “everything in the world is connected and nonpredictable” (Bloch, 2005 as cited in Brown, 2012). Brown (2012) noted the Butterfly Effect, a concept suggesting that even the most insignificant influences can yield momentous changes in people and environments. In the Chaos Theory, each individual owns his or her own phenomenological, unique perspective of the world (Brown, 2012). Sources of influence, whether seemingly rooted internally (religion, spirituality, beliefs, values) or externally (personal environment, work environment, “butterfly effects”), constantly interact with each other in the dynamic system in which we live to influence our perceptions and interpretations, forming our unique perspectives. The sources of internal and external influence make up the interdependent network that shapes us, as career-seekers, throughout our exploration and development.     

Brown, D. (2012).  Career information, career counseling, and career development (10^th 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(1), 52-63.