Abstract
M.A
The traditional paradigm of career psychology is becoming redundant in a changing
world and particularly in a South African context. The traditional paradigm is based
on the Orthodox Positivist epistemology, which perceives the social and physical
worlds to consist of objective, unambiguous facts that are open to investigation,
explanation and prediction by objective scientific methods (Collin & Young, 1986).
The aim is to discover a singular objective reality using rational and accurate methods
of observation. Career interventions have objectified interests, values and abilities and
used predefined standardized inventories to obtain a person-environment fit as an
objective attainable reality (Savickas, 1993). This perspective fails to recognize that
career decisions are made in context and does not make provision for the social,
economic and political factors that may constrain, challenge or encourage the
individual in his career decision-making process (Collin & Young, 1986; Hansen,
1997; Steenbarger, 1991). The subjective experience of the career life role, that is the
personal experiences and struggles of the individual in attempting to come to terms
with available options, is also typically ignored (Naicker, 1994). The relationship of
career to other life roles is disregarded (Hansen, 1997). The client is also not helped
to make more effective life planning decisions with due consideration for individual
interests and community needs (Hansen, 1997; Naicker, 1994). Career counselling needs to move away from an exclusively autonomous and fragmented perspective, as described above, if it is to avoid redundancy. Emerging trends that are taking place internationally and that may need to be accommodated within career interventions include the following. The composition of the labour force has become increasingly diverse, resulting in a wider range of values, needs and motivations (Osipow, 1991). The structure of corporations is changing, leading to shifts in the organisation of the work force (Hansen, 1997; Nel, 1999). Advances in communication, information and computer technology have complicated career patterns (Spokane, 1991)...