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Guidance Theories in Real Guidance Theories in Real Life…Life…

Kai KoivumäkiKai Koivumäkikai.koivumaki@tem.fi

Jyväskylä 10.9.2009Jyväskylä 10.9.2009

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CAREERS AND VOCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

INDUSTRIAL WORKLIFEA)

Relationship to work: permanent jobs, static, vocational/professional development

straight forward:PHASE, CLEARNESS, LONG WORK HISTORIES, SAME EMPLOYER

POST INDUSTRIAL WORKLIFESECOND MODERN

B)

Relationship to work: flexible, continuous prosessional development, not straight forward; development is

continuous discontinuousprogressive stoppingrational irrationalharmonious unexpected

FROM CLEAR CAREER TO RISK MANAGEMENT, MISTINESS and INDIVIDUAL PATHS

?

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What is counselling?What is counselling?

Counselling is the skilled and principled use of relationships Counselling is the skilled and principled use of relationships which develop self-knowledge, emotional acceptance and which develop self-knowledge, emotional acceptance and growth, and personal resources. The overall aim is to live growth, and personal resources. The overall aim is to live more fully and satisfyingly. Counselling may be concerned more fully and satisfyingly. Counselling may be concerned with addressing and resolving specific problems, making with addressing and resolving specific problems, making decisions, coping with crises, developing personal insight and decisions, coping with crises, developing personal insight and knowledge, working through feelings and inner conflicts, or knowledge, working through feelings and inner conflicts, or improving relationship with others.improving relationship with others.The counsellor’s role is to facilitate the client’s work in ways The counsellor’s role is to facilitate the client’s work in ways that respect the client’s values, personal resources, and that respect the client’s values, personal resources, and capacity for choice within his or hers cultural context.” capacity for choice within his or hers cultural context.” (British Association for Counselling)(British Association for Counselling)

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Constructivist counsellingConstructivist counselling

Sartre: ”A man is always a teller of tales; he Sartre: ”A man is always a teller of tales; he lives surrounded by his stories and the lives surrounded by his stories and the stories of others; he sees everything that stories of others; he sees everything that happens to him through them, and he tries happens to him through them, and he tries to live his life as if he were recounting to live his life as if he were recounting them”them”

Discursive psychology (and sociology):Discursive psychology (and sociology):How talking and texts are constructed?How talking and texts are constructed?What kind of meaning we give to things?What kind of meaning we give to things?

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Some constructivistsSome constructivists

George H. Mead: self arises out of symbolic, George H. Mead: self arises out of symbolic, linguistic interactionlinguistic interaction

Lev Vygotsky: co-constructivism, learning Lev Vygotsky: co-constructivism, learning by doingby doing

John Dewey: meaning of experiencesJohn Dewey: meaning of experiences Alasdair McIntyre: narratives shape peopleAlasdair McIntyre: narratives shape people

´s action´s action Mary Catherine Bateson: improvisation, Mary Catherine Bateson: improvisation,

living in uncertaintyliving in uncertainty Michael Bakhtin: life as ”self-authored” Michael Bakhtin: life as ”self-authored”

process process

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Social Identity Theory Social Identity Theory (Tajfel&Turner)(Tajfel&Turner)

Identity is Identity is socially constructedsocially constructed through: through: Categorisation: characteristic to human beings > Categorisation: characteristic to human beings >

class, gender, race, community, nationality, class, gender, race, community, nationality, profession, football club etc.profession, football club etc.

Identification: categories include a value system in Identification: categories include a value system in which we identify ourselves > defines people´s which we identify ourselves > defines people´s position and and statusposition and and status

Social comparison: tendency to feel well of OUR Social comparison: tendency to feel well of OUR group also includes feeling well of ME > self-group also includes feeling well of ME > self-esteem is connected to the groupesteem is connected to the group

Developmental process > adults should learn Developmental process > adults should learn relativism!relativism!

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Identity DevelopmentIdentity Development

Cultural, ethnic, professional and gender identity is a Cultural, ethnic, professional and gender identity is a complex construction of:complex construction of:

Identity is political: you internalize the negative ”pictures” Identity is political: you internalize the negative ”pictures” as objectively true > you create easily a negative as objectively true > you create easily a negative identity; individual identity as a ”mirror” of the societyidentity; individual identity as a ”mirror” of the society

Identity construction is a mutual, active process between Identity construction is a mutual, active process between the individual and the reference groupthe individual and the reference group

IndividualDimension:-physics, family, local etc. charasteristics

SocialDimension:

-regional, nationalcharasteristics

GlobalDimension:

-western, oriental,-traditionnal,

- modernistic etc.characteristic

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Values are the ground for our Values are the ground for our identityidentity

GenderGender Family identificationFamily identification Nationality, ethnicityNationality, ethnicity TimeTime AgeAge Tradition Tradition AuthorityAuthority Spirituality and religionSpirituality and religion

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Can counselling and Can counselling and education/training education/training supportsupport and and help to createhelp to create positive positive identities in professional identities in professional and cultural transitions?and cultural transitions?

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Counselling/education as support to a persons identity

Vision= What would I like to become?

Membership in groups/society

= Where do I belong?

Knowledge and information;- What do I know?

Everyday practices= What do I do?

Etienne Wenger: Communities of Practice

11KK/TMKK/TM 1111

Training/educationTraining/education Learning in group; based on Learning in group; based on certain, often given, goals certain, often given, goals and targets; group dynamics and targets; group dynamics as identity builderas identity builder

Guidance/counsellingGuidance/counselling Dialogic communication, Dialogic communication, which supports life quality and which supports life quality and problemsolving skills; problemsolving skills; psychological level: values, psychological level: values, beliefs, feelings etc.beliefs, feelings etc.

AdviceAdvice Giving concrete advice to Giving concrete advice to concrete questionsconcrete questions

InformationInformation Not necessarily face to face Not necessarily face to face contact; internet etc.contact; internet etc.

Action based methodsAction based methods Work try outs, training try Work try outs, training try outs, learning at the outs, learning at the workplace, apprenticeship etc; workplace, apprenticeship etc;

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Counselling as ”identity negotiation”Counselling as ”identity negotiation”

To study together with the client in a To study together with the client in a co-constructive process:co-constructive process: beliefs, experiences, feelings, beliefs, experiences, feelings,

motivation, goals, meanings in relation motivation, goals, meanings in relation to cultural valuesto cultural values

What is my relation to: work, learning, What is my relation to: work, learning, spirituality, world view, health, spirituality, world view, health, creativity, recreation, relationships etc?creativity, recreation, relationships etc?

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Some sociodynamic methodsSome sociodynamic methods

Discussion, interviewDiscussion, interview Life space, visualising, other Life space, visualising, other

mappingsmappings Drawing the line of my lifeDrawing the line of my life Life as a book, chapters of my lifeLife as a book, chapters of my life Psycho- and sociodramaPsycho- and sociodrama House of voicesHouse of voices MetaphorsMetaphors My possible futuresMy possible futures

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How can we support and develop the How can we support and develop the global/international/”mobile” dimension?global/international/”mobile” dimension?

Making unconscious conscious: visualising Making unconscious conscious: visualising methodsmethods

Three stages: 1) ”Seems ok” 2) ”There is Three stages: 1) ”Seems ok” 2) ”There is something wrong” 3) ”Help is needed at once”something wrong” 3) ”Help is needed at once”

Opening views and perspectivesOpening views and perspectives Identities can be tested and ”played with” in a Identities can be tested and ”played with” in a

creative way > being abroad can teach a lot creative way > being abroad can teach a lot about yourself and othersabout yourself and others

Excercises: Excercises: www.maailmalle.net Cognitive methods: to test certain thoughts and Cognitive methods: to test certain thoughts and

attitudes?attitudes? What else? New creative methods?What else? New creative methods?

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Counsellor´s Counsellor´s competences and skillscompetences and skills

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Nordic report on working life Nordic report on working life knowledgeknowledge

www.nordvux.net > NVL:s rapporter > NVL:s rapporter

What did we do?What did we do? Compared and discussed the counselling Compared and discussed the counselling

systemssystems Defined working life knowledgeDefined working life knowledge Compared counsellor training systemsCompared counsellor training systems Discussed nationally with adult counsellors Discussed nationally with adult counsellors

in all countries: their experiences and in all countries: their experiences and needsneeds

Discussed the resultsDiscussed the results

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Counsellor´s competencesCounsellor´s competences

Core competence – basic skills and Core competence – basic skills and knowledge that are common for all knowledge that are common for all counsellors: ex. theoretical approaches, counsellors: ex. theoretical approaches, communication skills, methods etc.communication skills, methods etc.

Special competences – ex. working life Special competences – ex. working life knowledge and skills, international knowledge and skills, international mobility knowledge and skills etc?mobility knowledge and skills etc?

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Counsellor´s competencesCounsellor´s competences

A grown up individual IS his/her A grown up individual IS his/her experiences and in counselling his/her experiences and in counselling his/her inner potential, hidden resources and inner potential, hidden resources and capacity are made visiblecapacity are made visible

Counsellor helps the client to match Counsellor helps the client to match together his/her potential and competences together his/her potential and competences with labour market and education (short with labour market and education (short and long term) > working life knowledge is and long term) > working life knowledge is necessarynecessary for the counsellor and the client for the counsellor and the client

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What is working life knowledge?What is working life knowledge? Supply and demand of labourSupply and demand of labour Different professions and tasks; how they develope, Different professions and tasks; how they develope,

arise and disappeararise and disappear Situation at work places with respect to salaries and Situation at work places with respect to salaries and

required skillsrequired skills Legal frameworkLegal framework How to seek informationHow to seek information Competence development; at home and abroadCompetence development; at home and abroad Link between competence development and workLink between competence development and work CVs and application for workCVs and application for work RecruitmentRecruitment Demographic developmentDemographic development Organisation and structure of labour marketOrganisation and structure of labour market Dynamics of transition in labour marketDynamics of transition in labour market

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Adult Guidance and Counselling in Adult Guidance and Counselling in the Nordic countriesthe Nordic countries

There are some kind of guidance services There are some kind of guidance services in every country but they vary a lotin every country but they vary a lot

Main responsibility either on official Main responsibility either on official education or labour administration: job education or labour administration: job centres, employment offices, guidance centres, employment offices, guidance centres, adult education and training, centres, adult education and training, learning centres, labour market learning centres, labour market organisations etc.organisations etc.

There are also some private guidance There are also some private guidance organisationsorganisations

www-serviceswww-services

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Counsellor trainingCounsellor training

There is master´s level training since There is master´s level training since 2008 in all Nordic countries: from 2008 in all Nordic countries: from whole 5-6 year programmes to one whole 5-6 year programmes to one year specialisation programmesyear specialisation programmes

Training often connected to teacher Training often connected to teacher training and pedagogy, Finland has training and pedagogy, Finland has long tradition in psychological long tradition in psychological counselling counselling

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Observations about working life Observations about working life knowledge knowledge in trainingin training

Variation concerning working life Variation concerning working life knowledge in training: quantity and knowledge in training: quantity and quality variesquality varies

Lack of definition – what is working Lack of definition – what is working life knowledge?life knowledge?

Unsystematically organisedUnsystematically organised Voluntary in many programmes; if Voluntary in many programmes; if

you are interested!you are interested!

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Observations about working life Observations about working life knowledge knowledge in practicein practice

Different clients, different needs:Different clients, different needs:- Adults changing work (voluntary or Adults changing work (voluntary or

forced)forced)- Career development and life Career development and life

qualityquality- UnemployedUnemployed- Highly educated, academicsHighly educated, academics- ImmigrantsImmigrants

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Observations in practice (cont.) Observations in practice (cont.)

Dilemma to combine the interests of Dilemma to combine the interests of individual and society: labour shortage as individual and society: labour shortage as base or self fulfilment?base or self fulfilment?

Information about shortage >< labour Information about shortage >< labour market informationmarket information

If counsellor does not have the basic If counsellor does not have the basic information, difficult to updateinformation, difficult to update

Lot of information, but incomprehensibleLot of information, but incomprehensible Counsellors work isolated in their own Counsellors work isolated in their own

sectors: information needed in all sectors!sectors: information needed in all sectors!

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What kind of knowledge is needed:What kind of knowledge is needed:- General development of the economy and General development of the economy and

within branches, future needs etc.within branches, future needs etc.- Employment process (CVs, applications etc.)Employment process (CVs, applications etc.)- Career building; connection between Career building; connection between

education and workeducation and work- Validation and qualifications; real, formal Validation and qualifications; real, formal

and informal competencesand informal competences- Business administration, HRDBusiness administration, HRD- Starting up businessStarting up business- Legal framework of labour marketLegal framework of labour market

Observations in practice (cont.) Observations in practice (cont.)

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RecommendationsRecommendations

To develop understanding of the relation To develop understanding of the relation between education and workbetween education and work

Systematic information gathering (clients Systematic information gathering (clients can not be the only provider!)can not be the only provider!)

Better www-pages and data banksBetter www-pages and data banks More and systematic contacts with More and systematic contacts with

companiescompanies Contacts with labour and employer unions Contacts with labour and employer unions Co-operation between sectors/ministriesCo-operation between sectors/ministries Basic and further trainingBasic and further training