Appraising Cultural Identity in Career‐Development Assessment and Counseling

Abstract

Career-Development Assessment and Counseling (C-DAC) systematically bridges career theory and practice. Integrating differential, developmental, and phenomenological methods, the C-DAC model uses a comprehensive career assessment battery to help clients explore their roles, developmental stages and tasks, career attitudes and knowledge, values, and interests within their unique life contexts. The authors recommend elaborating the C-DAC model to formally appraise cultural identity in step one of the model and to consider cultural identity concerns throughout the C-DAC process. This should help counselors more clearly understand how cultural factors influence people's career development and vocational behavior.Recent years have seen many efforts to address the applicability of existing career theory constructs to individuals representing groups other than the White, male middle class. These efforts have produced textbooks (e.

Embracing and harnessing diversity in the US workforce: what have we learned?

“…The list is long (e.g., Arbona, 1990;Bowman, 1995;Chung, 2003;Flores, Berkel, et al, 2006a;Hartung et al, 1998;Leong, 1985;Juntunen et al, 2001;Martin, 1991;Pope, 1995a;Pope et al, 2004;Prince, 1995;Rivera, Chen, Flores, Blumberg, & Ponterotto, 2007;Young, Marshall, & Valach, 2007). It is important to note, however, that the research cited in this article is based on US sources, and, although these keys may be generally applicable in other countries, this cannot be stated definitively.…”

“…Special procedures are recommended for using formal assessment with individuals from the various cultural communities (e.g., Chung, 2003;Chung & Harmon, 1994;Hartung et al, 1998;Leong & Gim-Chung, 1995;Leong & Gupta, 2007;Pope, 1992). Career counselors need to know what special procedures are required in order to get accurate results or to make accurate interpretations.…”

Theories in Cross-Cultural Contexts

“…In order to increase counsellor empathy, relatedness towards client and counselling effectiveness; it is important that counsellors undergo a parallel process by being exposed to a similar battery of assessment instruments. This will also help counsellors to become more aware of their cultural career development (Hartung et al, 1998;Leong & Hartung, 2003).…”

“…It has been suggested that a sixth dimension known as the cultural identity development stage be incorporated so that the primary focus of the model can be on culture. This would allow counsellors to draw attention to culture specific variables such as acculturation, cultural value orientation, external career barriers such as racism or discrimination and special racial group career development stages and behaviours (Hartung et al, 1998). Hartung et al also suggest emphasising this model along three dimensions at the individual, group and universal level so that the model's cultural validity can be increased.…”

“…This career model was conceptualised and formulated by Hartung et al (1998) and it consists of incorporating multicultural issues and factors into Super's (1983) existing Career Developmental Assessment and Counselling Model (C-DAC). Culture is infused throughout the various stages of this model.…”