Department of Psychology

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Browsing Department of Psychology by Author "Albien, Anouk Jasmine"

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    Exploring grade 12 Kayamandi adolescents' career influences using the Systems Theory Framework of Career Development
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2013-12) Albien, Anouk Jasmine; Naidoo, Anthony V.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Psychology.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Major gaps exist in the understanding of career development across diverse population groups and cultures, a lacuna that postmodern career counselling approaches aim to address. Career choices have been historically constrained for many South Africans by the Apartheid system, indicating the prescribing effects that socio-political and economic factors exert on the field of career psychology. Because disadvantaged adolescents are such an under-researched group, research is needed to provide cogent accounts of their experiences. The Systems Theory Framework of career development (STF) was chosen to contextualise the multitude of career influences present in facing a key life transition in Makupula High School learners in the Kayamandi township. The present research examined the complex interplay of contextual influences that impacts this sample of Grade 12 learners in making career decisions, to provide insight into perceived career opportunities, enablers and unique contextual constraints. The research aimed to identify individual, social and environmental-societal level influences present in career decision-making, using the qualitative career measure My Systems of Career Influences (MSCI) as well as individual interviews and a focus group. Respondents‟ accounts of self-awareness, surrounding environmental resources, influences of significant others (parents, teachers and peers), and past, present and future effects were analysed. At an individual level, a scarcity of opportunities for self-reflection and critical thinking was observed, which culminated in limited insight into personal abilities and poor integration of personal information in occupational choices. High self-efficacy beliefs and expectations were noted, with a sense of responsibility assumed for constructing successful career paths. However, high order cognitive processes, such as future planning, were absent, showing the need for career counselling to build career adaptability and resilience. Social level influences were the most prominent influences, indicating the importance attached to family support, although a lack of parental involvement in career planning was voiced due to the low occupational status of parents. The school context provided examples of subject mastery and career information from teachers; in contrast, friends were described as dual entities, being supportive and providing negative influences. A lack of visible local role models and success pathways resulted in career choices being based on media depictions of careers as well as media role models, in the absence of additional accessible career information. The theme of career myths illustrated the need for accurate career information, and the theme of cultural identity emerged. Africentric narratives of overcoming suffering formed resilient mechanisms that were linked to a black racial identity, yet constrained movements away from extended family structures and the township. The reconciliation of “western” career aspirations with rural roots in forming a coherent self-concept may be the greatest challenge in vocational identity development for disadvantaged adolescents. At the environmental-societal level, Kayamandi was discussed as an enabling and disadvantageous environment, and reference was made to the resources and language barriers that were inherent in Stellenbosch town. Lastly, MSCI feedback indicated the necessity of reflection processes, and criticisms were also discussed. Themes that emerged from the learners‟ career stories can assist in providing insight that would aid future career development, counselling processes and the creation of context-specific interventions.
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    A mixed-methods analysis of black adolescents’ vocational identity status and career adaptability competencies in a south african township
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2018-12) Albien, Anouk Jasmine; Naidoo, Anthony V.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Psychology.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: A critical standpoint is taken in the present research study to explore the extent to which key career constructs, such as career adaptability and vocational identity, may manifest differently in a non-Western and developing world context, such as that of the Kayamandi township in South Africa. This research process consisted of six phases as part of a multi-phase mixed-methods research design. In Phase 1, relevant role players were included in the development of a culturally sensitive life-designing career intervention. In Phase 2, a psychometric analysis was undertaken that determined that the Career Adapt-abilities Scale (CAAS) and Vocational Identity Status Assessment (VISA) measures had moderate reliability and validity in the Kayamandi township context. This data was contextualised with qualitative Delphi interviews. Thereafter, Phase 3 consisted of the pilot intervention, which established the content, structure and applicability of the career intervention, both quantitatively and qualitatively. Phase 4 included the final administration of the Shaping Career Voices intervention. In Phase 4, the career measures were administered to 582 Grade 10, 11, and 12 isiXhosa-speaking high school students between the ages of 14 and 22 years old (M=17, SD=1.3) from a peri-urban low-income setting. Participants included 314 Grade 10 (55%), 237 Grade 11 (41%) and 31 Grade 12 (5%) students, of whom 169 (31%) were males and 369 (69%) were females. A repeated-measures research design was utilised and scores were tracked at four time points: T1 and T2 before administering a culturally-constructed career life-designing intervention, as well as at two time points after the intervention (T3 and T4). Scores were observed in all of the subscales of the VISA and CAAS to have increased significantly as a result of the intervention. The most significant results were seen between T1 and T4, where scores remained high at the follow-up (T4). The results indicated gender differences, as female participants were seen to score significantly higher on the CAAS subscales of concern and co-operation, in contrast to male participants, who scored higher on the VISA subscales of career flexibility (CF) and self-doubt (SD). Grade differences were also observed, which indicated that learners who were facing high school graduation (Grade 12) had the highest increases in scores across the two instruments. Most interesting was the finding that vocational identity statuses began shifting at T1 and then remained consistent from T3 onwards. In addition, the CAAS subscales increased monotonically across vocational identity statuses from least to more adaptive as a result of the intervention. Lastly, two new vocational identity statuses were uncovered in this sample, namely undifferentiated moratorium and foreclosed moratorium, due to the increase in vocational identity subscale scores that resulted from the intervention process. The implications for research and career counselling practice are discussed. Furthermore, quantitative data were supplemented with evaluative and reflective intervention feedback (Phase 5) as well as a focus group interview (Phase 6). The focus group took place six months after the completion of the career intervention and allowed a deeper analysis of contextually bound and culturally sensitive factors. Unique patterns of stability and change in, as well as associations between, career adaptability and vocational identity subscales emerged in this South African case study. The findings suggest that the manifestation of career adaptabilities and vocational identity processes is the result of dynamic interactions between individuals, collectivistic values and their environments. The current research addresses the call for research to be conducted across diverse socio-economic statuses, geographical locations as well as racial and linguistic groups to facilitate etic-emic understandings of the career development of marginalised youth worldwide.