Slide 1
In this presentation we will be making some preliminary links to practice via the Iceberg model.
Slide 2
In this slide we will be using the Iceberg to look at how Super’s Life-space roles might be applied to the guidance context.
Super’s Life-space roles provide us with a range of potential vehicles through which we can help clients explore their underlying values.
Let’s begin with the common Life-space role of worker – and let’s imagine that our client comes to us expressing a strong interest in undertaking the role of teacher in the future.
Let’s also imagine that for this client, working as a teacher is important and significant to them because ‘they want to make a difference’.
This client may also say something like ‘well…teaching is important to me because people are important to me’
Here we have two underlying values that are, for this client, connected to the prospect of working as a teacher in the future.
Super’s work also reminds us that there are other Life-space roles that may be significant to the client…..and he prompts us in the direction of other possibilities for exploration – for example citizen.
For this client let’s imagine that, in the role of citizen, the client is undertaking the role of peer mentor in his or her University.
What values might be connected to this role? Let’s imagine that the client says something like ‘I like giving advice’….here the alternative role of citizen, peer mentor in this case, provides us with a further vehicle for the exploration and identification of values.
We also have other roles such a leisurite, homemaker, student, and also parent….here Super offers us a range of roles through which we can begin to prompt clients in the direction of identifying other roles they undertake in their lives, and the values that are connected to those roles.
Slide 3
In this slide we will be applying Holland’s RIASEC typology to the guidance context using once again the Iceberg model.
Let’s recall our client who expresses an interest in becoming a teacher in the future. This interest in becoming a teacher, according to Holland, could be suggestive of a Social personality type.
Let us also imagine that our client, in answer to the question ‘what interests you in becoming a teacher?’ says something like ‘I like helping people with problems’. Here, in Holland’s terms, the client has identified a specific, and thereby potentially measurable, interest in helping people – an interest that is consistent with Holland’s Social personality type.
Let us now imagine that the discussion is broadened to include other interests held by the client. For example, in discussing subject interests the client says something like ‘I enjoy my science practicals’, and, ‘I tend to take the lead in group projects’. Here, in Holland’s terms, the client has identified a pair of interests that could be suggestive of an Investigative personality type and an Enterprising personality type.
On the basis of the discussion so far, we might speculate that the client has an SIE (Social, Investigative, Enterprising) vocational personality profile. Indeed, at this point the client could be encouraged to complete a version of Holland’s SDS – the Self-Directed Search – to confirm or disconfirm this impression.
It is here that a return to Super’s emphasis on values is potentially illuminating – remember that Holland’s typology is based on measurable interests and not subjective value statements.
So, let us recall that the client holds values related to the prospect of ‘making a difference’ and that ‘people are important’. These values, combined with Holland’s typology, form the basis for re-envisioning career ideas.
For example, the client could be encouraged to think how they might ‘make a difference’ in an Enterprising as well as Social context. Here, particular occupations consistent with an ES context – for example, Hotel Manager – could be evaluated by the client on the basis of a core value. This might sound like ‘how might I make a difference as a hotel manager rather than a teacher?’
Similarly, the client could be encouraged to think how ‘people are important’ in an Investigative as well as Social context. Particular occupations that are consistent, in this case, with an IS context – for example Pharmacist – could be evaluated by the client on the basis of a core value. This might sound like ‘how might people be important to me as a pharmacist n contrast to a teacher?’
In this slide we have drawn from both Holland’s and Super’s work to bring together the subjective and objective dimensions of career: the objective world of Holland’s vocational personalities expressed in the form of interests, and the subjective world of Super’s vocational self-concept expressed in the form of values. In so doing, it is suggested that an identification of personal values, combined with the range of public contexts provided by Holland’s RIASEC typology, provides a practical framework to help clients re-envision their career.
Slide 4
Let’s imagine that Laura, a second year History undergraduate comes to us to discuss her career. Laura says that in the past she always wanted to be a History teacher because ‘people are important’ and ‘I want to make a difference to people’s lives’. Following Law’s Community Interaction theory, looking back with Laura at the community origins of her idea of being a teacher, she says ‘my Mum’s a teacher’, and ‘I did my work experience at my old primary school’. In recalling other significant sources of feedback, modelling, and support, she says ‘my History teacher was great – she said I’d make a great teacher’.
However, Laura is not so sure she wants to be a teacher anymore – none of her friends on her History course are interested in teaching after they graduate. Having once been very clear about what she wanted to do, she is now uncertain and a bit worried. Her vision of herself in the role of worker is now rather blurred…
Using Super’s other life-space roles as a guide, let’s imagine that the discussion turns to Laura’s role as a student, in combination with a citizen role. She says that she has been volunteering with the student union, writing articles for the Union magazine. She enjoys this, particularly because of the opportunity to share ideas with other people. Indeed, she sees this as being consistent with her other values and her desire to make a difference to people’s lives.
Once again, looking at the community aspect of this role, Laura says she first got involved because one of the committee members, John, encouraged her. In recalling other significant sources of feedback, modelling, and support, she says her friends at the Union think she’s a good writer. She’s also developed a strong interest in current affairs. Indeed, returning to the role of worker, Laura starts to talk about the possibility of getting a summer placement with a local newspaper.
Here, the communities associated to Laura’s life-space roles of worker, student, and citizen, provide the basis for reflection and the crystallization of new ideas. By focussing on examples of modelling, feedback, support, etc. we can help Laura to understand how her various communities have influenced her in the construction and reconstruction of her career.
Slide 5
In this presentation we have used the Iceberg model as a way of linking three classic career theories to practice. Of course, the Iceberg is only one way of looking at career – you may wish to think of your own model, or metaphor at this point. Others that come to mind are:
Trees – emphasising growth and development perhaps?
Webs – possibly emphasising community networks?
Rivers – emphasising…………..? Well, let’s leave that one with you…..
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