Can't believe that I've just spent almost an hour creating my first blog posting on the readings and it all disappeared!! Good test for my patience and my blogging practice!!
Both articles very interesting. Schon's comments on how there has been a crisis of confidence in the professions both from the public and from within the professions themselves seems to be attributed to the massive technological changes in society. Making society one of complexity, uncertainty, instability, uniqueness and value conflicts. He comments that because society is constantly changing so rapidly, it is difficult for the professions to cope and to continue to offer one remedy for all-ills.
As Grant mentioned in our lecture on Monday, there is a conflict within the professions as to dealing with a unique individual and meeting the expectations of the employer/professional body.
Is there a crisis in confidence in the Career guidance profession? How are career advisers viewed by the public? With scepticism or trust and confidence?
Ivan Illich's article is also interesting and certainly provides lots of food for thought and reflection! He talks about how the professions became so dominant and ponders the day of 'disabled professions'.
Some of his thoughts and ideas did make me think of how much the UK is becoming like a 'nanny state' with everyone being told what to or what not to say, do and think....just about(I'm sure that technology will come with time and then there really won't be a place for careers advisers!) Illich comments "professionals tell you what you need and claim the power to prescribe. They not only recommend what is good, but actually ordain what is right." I hope career advisers don't do that!
His comments on the illusions are also interesting, but I'll let someone else comment on that, just in-case something happens to this post too.......
Inspiration from Graduation!
16 years ago
Regarding how the public view careers advisers, alot depends on socio-economic make up of a place and geography, as mentioned by Grant. When working in Runcorn, a "new" town outside Liverpool with lots of social problems and high unemployment, Connexions was mostly seen as part of the system with a certain level of mistrust.
ReplyDeleteThis question, too, leapt out at me! My feeling is that career advisers are not rated very highly by the average person, partly because I don't think people realise that it needs a post-grad qualification to become one, but more because nearly everyone you talk has a story to tell of some disastrous encounter with a career adviser who gave them completely unhelpful advice! (And I include myself among them!) Hopefully, more and more people also have also stories of how much a career adviser has helped them, too - I'm glad to say I include myself among them, too!
ReplyDelete(Meant to say, I truly sympathise with your losing so much work, trying to send a post! The same thing has happened to me more than once, so now I copy what I've written onto the clipboard so I know it won't be lost forever if everything then goes horribly wrong when trying to send it!!)
ReplyDeleteI think this is because for all the attempts to make career guidance a science it is in fact still an art (at least to some extent). There will always be (I hope!) the human element and as with all art some people will appreciate it and some will not!
ReplyDeleteI also think that clients expectations have a lot to do with any dissatisfaction - I do think that often they expect (and want) to be told what to do and feel let down when they leave still with uncertainty.