Career development does not take place in a vacuum. An individual’s ability to pursue work that meets their needs and that they find fulfilling is affected by intersecting issues such as racial, gender, economic and health inequality. A social justice lens to career development highlights the context in which individuals pursue education and work – or are excluded from doing so. It can also provide a framework for helping jobseekers overcome barriers through advocacy.
This collection of resources includes academic articles, books, presentations and more on career development and social justice. Additional resource compilations have since been published: Resources on career development and social justice Part 2 and Part 3.
A university career service and social justice (University of Southern Queensland) [Article]
This paper describes the social justice activities facilitated by a university careers service. It includes a discussion on the relationship between social justice and career development in higher education.
Career development and social justice (CERIC) [Literature search]
Topics include: socially fair employability, democratic approaches to career education, social justice needs of different types of clients and social justice competencies for career practitioners.
Career Guidance for Emancipation: Reclaiming Justice for the Multitude – Tristram Hooley, Ronald Sultana and Rie Thomsen [Book]
This edited collection explores ways in which social justice can be integrated into career guidance practice. Chapter authors propose models and practices that can contribute to struggles for social justice and consider how career guidance can play a role in these struggles. They explore policy and practice in the light of critical social theory, both critiquing career guidance and opening up new possibilities for the field.
Career guidance for social justice [Website]
This website, created by Tristram Hooley, Ronald Sultana and Rie Thomsen, features articles, lectures, presentation slides, books and more related to social justice in career development.
Career Practitionersʼ Views of Social Justice and Barriers for Practice (Canadian Journal of Career Development) [Social justice]
This article orients readers to the topic of social justice and discusses various perspectives that are relevant for career development practice. Preliminary research results are reported about how Canadian career practitioners view social justice and their perceived barriers to incorporating social justice interventions.
Career Theories and Models at Work (CERIC) – Eds. Nancy Arthur, Roberta Neault and Mary McMahon [Book]
This edited international collection of contemporary and emerging career development theories and models aims to inform the practice of career development professionals around the globe. Chapters related to social justice include: “Culture-Infused Career Counselling: Connecting Culture and Social Justice in Career Practices,” by Nancy Arthur; “Cultural-Historical Activity Theory: Group Career Counselling for Social Justice of Racialized Women,” by Patricia Dionne and Audrey Dupuis; and “Career Development Practices from the Capabilities Perspective of Social Justice,” by France Picard, Michel Turcotte, Simon Viviers, and Patricia Dionne.
Centre for Social Justice [Organization]
While this organization is not focused on career development, it offers resources that can help career professionals build foundational knowledge about social justice to inform their practice. It focuses on issues such as racial, gender, economic and health inequality; childcare; peace and justice; and Indigenous issues.
Critical perspectives on agency and social justice in transitions and career development (Aarhus University) [Conference presentations]
Keynotes and presentation PDFs are available for viewing and download from this 2019 conference. This event brought together researchers interested in interdisciplinary and critical approaches to the ways in which we understand and work with transitions, social justice and agency in professional practices targeting young people and adults.
Engagement or Resistance: The Social Justice Impact on Career Counseling and Career Development (NCDA) [Webinar]
A recording is available for this webinar from the US-based National Career Development Association, presented by Lee Covington Rush. You may have to add the Webex extension to your browser to view the recording.
Ethical considerations of internet usage: A career guidance perspective (Careering magazine) [Article]
In this Careering magazine article, Tom Staunton argues that career professionals need to consider how the online world affects clients in terms of their data, social equity, privacy and access.
Exploring New Horizons in Career Counselling – Eds. Kobus Maree and Fabio Perroni [Book]
This book brings together eminent global theorists and practitioners to share their views on the evolution of career counselling in recent decades. It challenges career counsellors to grasp and acquire skills to promote and advocate social justice agendas.
How to support clients facing bias in their job search (CareerWise) [Blog]
Have your clients seeking job search assistance ever shared concerns about how employers will judge their age, gender, body type, ethnicity, race, ability or hair? To me, writes Lakeisha Mathews (Director of the Career and Professional Development Center at the University of Baltimore), these questions are loaded and can be addressed using a variety of lenses including social justice, multi-cultural awareness, fair labour laws and fair hiring practice.
Moving toward emancipatory career guidance (CareerWise) [Blog]
Our careers are the intersection of our personal attributes and the social world, writes Tristram Hooley in this Podium blog. There is a danger that if career development professionals don’t recognize these opportunity structures, they will be unable to provide good career development assistance.
Social Justice Competencies and Career Development Practices (Canadian Journal for Counselling and Psychotherapy) [Article]
The purpose of this article is to report the results of a research study of career practitioners in Canada regarding the competencies they use to address the barriers experienced by their clients from non-dominant cultural groups, as well as the competencies that that they would like to strengthen. Recommendations follow for supporting career development practitioners to translate the concept of social justice into active practices directly with clients and with the systems that influence service delivery.
Social justice: Do Canadian school counsellors play a role? (University of Lethbridge) [Article]
This study found that the majority of school counsellors engage in a number of different forms of social justice. However, their conceptualizations of social justice and marginalization as well as their level of engagement in social justice vary considerably.
The Importance of Work in an Age of Uncertainty: The Eroding Work Experience in America – David L. Blustein [Book]
A major conclusion of this book is that the workplace in America is eroding across many dimensions, leaving people feeling untethered and insecure about their futures. Recommendations for individual and community-based adaptations are described along with suggestions for public policy reforms, including efforts to infuse human rights into the workplace and create more sustainable working conditions.
