Donald Super's Career Development Theory

Introduction Donald Super was of the opinion that the career transitions was the direct result of de-stability in the personal events or the socio-economy. Under these circumstances it was not a special event if a transition took place from one particular life stage to the next one. A sense of experience is developed through the career development theories. One can predict the future and explain the past and as a result a clear direction is obtained due to these theories. According to Super's Theory career development depended on many factors. These factors are fully realized when people reach sufficient maturity. Socioeconomic factor, the abilities relating to mantel and physical conditions, personal characteristics and the opportunities which the person encounter and make the career pattern clear and workable. To find satisfaction in career most of the people try to find it in their work role and at the same time they are able to develop the self concepts. Maturity in careers do not come so easily some time it takes the whole span of life to reach such a stage where one could become confident that he has attained maturity in his work. In Super's opinion self concept is a very important part of his theory. The self-concept is not that easy to attain. It may develop though mental growth, physical ability, to identify with the adults one is working with, general experience and environment. When the awareness of work become at par with the experience than the vocational self concept turns more sophisticated and the formation becomes more complete. In the beginning Super presented various stages and tasks in such a manner which was in sequence, but at a later stage he made some adjustments and added that the changes to ourselves u...

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...o be influential, but the long term significance of the theory remains to be demonstrated. Three major influences appear to have shaped Super's thinking: (a) differential psychology--trait-factor matching, (b) self-concept theory (Rogers, 1942, 1951; Carter, 1940; Bordin, 1943); and (c) stage models of developmental psychology (Buehler, 1933). The theory consists of several propositions. He initially articulated 10 in his 1953 article, added 2 more in the 1957 book (with Bachrach), and added the final two in his 1990 chapter." http://www.psychology.ilstu.edu/aehouse/465lecture4.htm References http://www.psychology.ilstu.edu/aehouse/465lecture4.htm http://seamonkey.ed.asu.edu/~gail/midterm.htm ttp://152.30.22.232/kirk/CDTheories/Growth.html http://www.free-researchpapers.com/dbs/b6/pnl196.shtml http://www.psychology.ilstu.edu/aehouse/465lecture4.htm