mark watson nelson mandela metropolitan university south africa mary mcmahon the university of...
TRANSCRIPT
Mark WatsonNelson Mandela Metropolitan UniversitySouth Africa
Mary McMahonThe University of QueenslandAustralia
Jenny BimroseInstitute for Employment Research, University of WarwickEngland
Across the miles:International Collaborative Research
International Collaborative Research
Research Projects
Career development of children and adolescentsNarrative career counselling and qualitative career assessmentWomen’s career development
International Collaborative Research
Milestones – Mark and Mary (2000 – 2011)Publications (2003 – 2011 published or in press )
Books co-edited: 1 published; 1 in pressBook chapters: 13Journal articles: 24 (4 with students)Qualitative career assessment instrument: 1 published; 1 submitted
Visits: 7 to Australia; 4 to South Africa
Co-supervision: 10 Masters; 2 Doctorates (1 NMMU; 1 UQ)
Conference Presentations: 30
International Collaborative Research
Milestones – Mark , Mary and Jenny (2009 – 2011)Publications (2010 - 2011 published or in
press/preparation) Books co-authored: 1 published Book chapters: 3 in preparation Journal articles: 1 published; 2 in preparation
Conference Presentations: 8Visits: 4 (England, Australia, South Africa)
Mark Watson, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, South AfricaMary McMahon, The University of Queensland, Australia
Career Development of Children and Adolescents
International Collaborative ResearchCareer Development of
Children and Adolescents
Research Output (2003 – 2011)Books: 1 co-edited in preparationBook chapters: 2Journal articles: 10Qualitative career assessment instrument: 1Computerised career guidance program for children – doctoral research; commercial product
International Collaborative ResearchCareer Development of
Children and Adolescents
Key FeaturesRedressing a critical gap in the literature internationally and in South AfricaResearch across neglected populations – cultural, rural and low socioeconomic (South Africa, Australia, China)
RCAS – translated into Xhosa, TurkishMoved towards practical application through a computerised career guidance program
International Collaborative Research Career Development of Children and Adolescents
Occupational Gender Stereotyping of Black Low Socioeconomic Urban & Rural South African Children
An example of postgraduate student researchAim: To explore, describe and compare the occupational gender
stereotyping of male and female, urban and rural, Xhosa-speaking South African upper elementary children
Method: Quantitative, exploratory, descriptive, comparativeParticipants: 292 rural (154 girls, 138 boys) and 274 urban (157
girls, 117 boys) Grades 5 to 7 students
International Collaborative Research Career Development of Children and Adolescents
Measure Self-report questionnaire, The Revised Career Awareness
Survey (RCAS; McMahon & Watson, 2001) 2 of 5 sections used in research
Occupational gender stereotyping from self-generated lists of occupations
Occupational gender stereotyping from prescribed lists of occupations Most questions are open-ended Questionnaires provided in English and Xhosa
International Collaborative Research Career Development of Children and Adolescents
ResultsOccupations Men Cannot Do per Type:
Total Rural and Urban SamplesMost occupations that men could not do were of a Realistic type
for the rural and of a Social type for the urban samples The most frequently named Realistic occupations by the rural
sample were of a practical, domestic nature (e.g., washing dishes or cleaning the house)
The most frequently named Social occupations by the urban sample were gender traditional occupations such as nurse
International Collaborative Research Career Development of Children and Adolescents
ResultsOccupations Men Can Do per Type:
Total Rural and Urban SamplesMost occupations that men can do were Realistic for both rural
and urban samples, with construction worker, gardener, mine worker and mechanic amongst the most frequently named
There is little difference in the occupational gender stereotypes between the rural and urban samples for this question
International Collaborative ResearchCareer Development of
Children and Adolescents
Research conclusionsBoth rural and urban Xhosa-speaking upper elementary children: Limit the occupational range they believe men and women can
and cannot do Evidence stereotyping of occupations along gender traditional
lines While there was similar evidence of occupational gender
stereotyping across rural and urban samples, emerging differences need to be contextually understood:
Rural children believed women could do Realistic occupations, but defined these largely as domestic practical activities
Mary McMahon, The University of Queensland, Australia Mark Watson, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, South Africa
Narrative Career Counselling and Qualitative Career Assessment
International Collaborative Research
The University of Queensland
Public UniversityFounded on 10 December 190937952 students from 113 countries2408 academic staff3 main campuses7 Faculties6 InstitutesSchool of Education27 Academics1500 students
International Collaborative ResearchNarrative Career Counselling and
Qualitative Career Assessment
Research Output (2003 – 2011)Books: 2 co-editedBook chapters: 11Journal articles: 14Qualitative career assessment instrument: 2
International Collaborative ResearchNarrative Career Counselling and
Qualitative Career Assessment
Key FeaturesCutting edge and innovative
Alternative to dominant paradigmOriginal formulations
Applied researchConnectedness between theory, research and practice
Culturally sensitive – international application translated into Dutch, Chinese, Icelandic, French
International Collaborative ResearchNarrative Career Counselling and
Qualitative Career Assessment
Adolescent career development: Listening to the voices of adolescent and their parents
An example of postgraduate student researchAim: To explore systemic influences on the career
development of a sample of middle-class Black South African male adolescents from the perspectives of both the adolescents and their parents
Method: Qualitative, exploratory, descriptive, comparative
International Collaborative ResearchNarrative Career Counselling and
Qualitative Career Assessment
Participants: 3 middle class Grade 11 students (16 years old) and their biological parents (total n = 9)
Measure
International Collaborative ResearchNarrative Career Counselling and
Qualitative Career Assessment
Data collection: two stage processIndividual completion of the MSCI (adolescent) booklet by
adolescents and parentsIndividual follow-up of semi-structured interviews (guided by
MSCI findings) with all adolescents and parents
Data Analysis: two-step processMSCI – themes were identified within and across participant
groups (sons, fathers, mothers)Semi-structured interviews – qualitative analysis using
Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA)
International Collaborative Research Narrative Career Counselling and
Qualitative Career Assessment
International Collaborative ResearchNarrative Career Counselling and
Qualitative Career Assessment
An Example
Gary Collett
Aim: To explore systemic influences on the career development of a sample of middle-class Black South African male adolescents from the perspectives of both the adolescents and their parents
Method: Qualitative, Exploratory, descriptive, comparative
Participants: 3 Grade 11 students (16 years old) and their biological parents (total n = 9)
0
1
2
3
Adolescent Participants Mother Participants Father Participants
International Collaborative ResearchNarrative Career Counselling and
Qualitative Career Assessment
Thematic AnalysisSuperordinate Themes
Family DynamicsThe Ghost of ApartheidGreat Expectations“Coconuts Fall Far from the Tree” *
* a metaphor used by all parents in the present research in their attempt to redress the phenomenon of acculturation
International Collaborative ResearchNarrative Career Counselling and
Qualitative Career Assessment
Results: Great Expectations Considerable parental pressure for adolescent
to choose careers that gain parental improvement“It has happened. It really has happened! I can’t lie that it started. I think it was last or the year before, my dad started mapping out my (career) decisions for me and it was kind of weird because it was really not the stuff that I wanted to go into.” Patrick (16 years, pseudonym)
International Collaborative ResearchNarrative Career Counselling and
Qualitative Career Assessment
Research conclusions16 years since the demise of apartheid and the birth of
the present adolescents, the impact of apartheid is still evident in individual career development
The research relationship between the Systems Theory Framework (STF) of career development, its career assessment measure (the MSCI), and Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) suggests innovative methodologies for qualitative career research
Jenny Bimrose, Institute for Employment Research,University of Warwick, England
Mary McMahon, The University of Queensland, Australia Mark Watson, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, South Africa
Women’s Career Development
International Collaborative Research
University of Warwick
22,648 students (Undergraduate 12,823;
Postgraduate 9,825; 6,088 overseas)Established 1965 979 academics & 692 researchers5 Faculties35,131 applicants: 4,142 intake (2010)7th in the RAE (2008) out of 110Institute for Employment ResearchEstablished 1981 – specialist research
International Collaborative Research Women’s Career Development
Research Output (2010 – 2011)Books: 1 co-authoredBook chapters: 3 in preparationJournal articles: 1 published; 2 in preparation
International Collaborative Research Women’s Career Development
Key FeaturesCutting edge and innovative
Focused on a neglected population i.e., older womenApplied research
Connectedness between theory, research and practiceChallenges established theoretical paradigms and research
methodologiesInterdisciplinary (psychology, education, sociology)International application
Semi-structured interview translated into Italian, Spanish, and German
International Collaborative Research Women’s Career Development
Older Women’s Work and Learning Pathways: Stories of Transition and Adaptability
Aim: To investigate the career stories of older women in contrasting labour market contexts
Method: Qualitative, cross-country case study comparison
International Collaborative Research Women’s Career Development
ParticipantsAged 45 – 65 45 - 50 (25); 51 - 55 (17); 56 - 60 (8); 61 – 65 (10)Marital status Married (31); Divorced (5); Widowed (3); Single (21)Educational level Sub-Degree (14); Degree (22); Postgraduate (17); Doctorate
(7)Employment status Full time (32); Part time (11); Self-employed (6); Retired (3); Unemployed (4); Vocation (1); Student (3)
International Collaborative Research Women’s Career Development
Data analysisThematic analysis: Master Codes
Learning across the lifespanTransitions and responsesIntrapersonal InfluencesWork InfluencesFinancial InfluencesSocial InfluencesRelocationAdvice to OthersFuture Planning
International Collaborative Research Women’s Career Development
Research conclusionsPossibilities for career guidance and counselling
supportHow relevant is career theory?
International Collaborative Research Women’s Career Development
Research conclusionsWhat could be the role of professional career support?
Holistic approachesNarrative approachesApproaches that value the subjective and emotional experience
of career transitionA safe spaceSystemic interventions (e.g., familial, organisational, policy
levels)Range of roles for career development practitioners (e.g.,
advocacy)
International Collaborative Research Women’s Career Development
Research conclusionsUnderpinning philosophies that inform career guidance need to
be considered in relation to the cultural context, before considering practice implications.
Tension between the need for mass outreach and the need for individualised focus needs resolution in practice.
Need to find a resolution between imposed theory and grounded theory - Our research on women in developing and developed countries is definitely framed in a grounded theory approach.
International Collaborative Research Women’s Career Development
Research conclusionsTimeframe expectations for developing career guidance
frameworks.
Implementation of career guidance will involve considering macro and micro-systemic contextual pressures in terms of delivery, theory, research and policy.
Need to consider role definitions in the provision of career guidance in developing country contexts, specifically the role of activist in relation to career development practitioners, educationalists and policy makers.
International Collaborative Research
BenefitsCollaborationResearch outputInternational profileFriendship
DifficultiesDistance, distance, distance
International Collaborative Research
What we have learned:
The importance of a strong foundationThe importance of processBuilding a strong working relationshipCommitment to mutual goalsLook for opportunities