Super

1
Supers Life Span, Life Space Approach to
Careers
2
Overview

• Developmental theory with 2 major tenets
• 1. Career development is a life long process
• 2. Self concept influences human behavior
• Personal self concept
• Social self concept
• 1953 10 propositions of career development
• 1990 14 propositions of career development

3
14 Propositions

• 1. Individual differences exist
• 2. We fit certain occupations
• 3. Each occupations calls for a specific
  personality type
• 4. Our vocational preferences change
• 5. The process of change is divided into stages
• 6. Career patterns are influenced by external
  factors
• 7. Readiness to deal with the demands of an
  occupation influence the types of job we will
  occupy

4
14 Propositions

• 8. Career maturity is a psychosocial construct
• 9. Development is guided by many factors
• 10. Career development is the implementation of
  occupational self concepts
• 11. We experiment with occupations to find one
  that fits
• 12. Work satisfaction is dependent on numerous
  variables
• 13. The greater the implemental in self concepts
  the greater job satisfaction
• 14.Work provides a place for personality
  expression

5
Developmental Stages

• Growth (birth to age 14 or 15)
• 4 major developmental tasks
• Exploration (ages 15-24)
• 3 major developmental tasks
• Establishment (ages 25-44)
• 3 major developmental tasks
• Maintenance (ages 45-64)
• 3 major developmental tasks
• Decline (age 65)
• 3 major developmental tasks

6
Developmental Stages

• Caveat
• Progression through stages is flexible
• The stags are not linear
• Some people have to complete 1 or 2 stages
  multiple times before moving on
• Life Rainbow (page 42)
• Archway Model (page 43)

7
Supers Theory

• Empirical Evaluations
• Difficult to establish empirical support due to
  the broad nature of the theory
• Osipow and Fitzgerald (1996) and Hackett, Lent,
  and Greenhaus (1991) support Supers theory in
  general

8
Supers Counseling Strategy

• 1. Assessment in 4 phases
• A. life structure and work salience
• B. career development status and resources
• C. vocational identity
• D. occupational self concepts and life themes
• 2. Data integration and narrative interpretation
• 3. Counseling goals
• 4. Procedures
• 5. Processes

9
Healys (1982) Counseling Strategy

• Stage 1 establish client individuality
• Stage 2 identifying and selecting strategies
• Stage 3 teaching and aiding implementation
• Stage 4 verifying goal achievement