Counselling Socially Disadvantaged Clients (iCeGS Annual Lecture 2024)

Although research and daily experience show that social variables are decisive in career development, they remain underrepresented in the research field of career counselling and guidance, which often focuses on psychological variables. Guidance services have expanded from schools to a more general adult population, particularly low-skilled workers in precarious labour market positions, requiring counsellors to adapt their methods. Blustein’s psychology of working theory and Bourdieu’s habitus theory place social variables at the centre of career development, critiquing the notion of free will that dominates traditional theories.

The author of this paper will share research findings that demonstrate how social class and gender influence career choices. For example, studies show that leisure activities and habitus shape occupational preferences and aspirations among 16-year-olds and young adults. Another study based on Blustein’s theory reveals that low-skilled youth feel less control over their futures, with aspirations limited by social constraints.

There will also be a discussion about how the Career Construction Interview (CCI), a narrative-based method, can help disadvantaged clients by combining micro-narratives into an empowering macro-narrative. This will be supported by case examples from research on low-skilled women. Finally, the Bourdieusian concepts of socio-analysis and habitus will be explored for their potential use in enriching the analysis of career stories in counselling.