Poster #233 - Vocational Identity Development among Disconnected Youth in the U.S.

• In Event: 2-110 - Poster Session 07
  In Poster Session: PS 07 Section - Social Relationships

Integrative Statement

Nearly 5 million young people in the U.S., ages 16 to 24, are disconnected from school and work (Measure of America, 2018). These young people face significant barriers to career development pathways, such as struggling through significant adversities and having fewer social supports than their more connected peers (Center for Promise, 2015; Jones, et al., 2016a; Jones et al., 2016b; Kenny, Blustein, Chaves, Grossman, & Gallagher, 2003). Despite these barriers, disconnected youth possess career motivations on which policies and programs could capitalize. Few studies, though, have examined the motivations of disconnected youth and their subsequent career identity development.

Critical perspectives within career development and vocational guidance (Blustein, 2006; Richardson, 1996, 2000; Prilleltensky & Stead, 2014; Sultana, 2014) have documented the demand for more inclusive perspectives on work and career development. Nonetheless, extant career development perspectives are rooted largely in the theories that predominated across the 20th century and maintain a narrow focus on individuals with a relative degree of privilege (e.g., racial, gender identity, educational, etc.) at the exclusion of particularly marginalized communities (Leong & Brown, 1995; Leong & Pearce, 2011). Furthermore, vocational scholars have struggled to embed and integrate career development theory within the broader context of developmental science (Hartung, Porfeli, & Vondracek, 2008; Vondracek, Lerner, & Schulenberg, 1986). Despite a recognition that “vocational development is inextricably woven into the fabric of human development in all its forms” (Hartung et al., 2008, p. 66), the call for a stronger integration of developmental principles within vocational psychology has remained largely unfulfilled.

The present study proposes the Phenomenological Variant of Ecological Systems Theory (PVEST; Spencer, Dupree, & Harman, 1997) as a unifying framework for integrating career development theories with the potential to expand the lifespan applicability and relevance of such theories to a wider group of diverse youth. The authors draw from Career Construction Theory (Savickas, 2002, 2005, 2012) and the Psychology of Working Theory (Blustein, 2006; Duffy et al., 2017) as complementary career theories well suited to be integrated under the rubric of the PVEST model. Specifically, this study tests a structural equation model to examine relationships between youth agency and vocational identity processes as well as the mediating role of work volition and career adaptability among risk-immersed youth (n=203), ages 16-to-24 years. All youth were enrolled in career pathways programs. Results indicate that youth agency was positively associated with identity development dimensions of in-depth career exploration, career commitment making, and identification with career commitment making (βs = .18, .17, and .22, respectively, p < .01). Further, work volition mediated the association between youth agency and career commitment identification (indirect effect = .06, p < .05). Career adaptability mediated the associations between youth agency and in-depth career exploration (indirect effect = .05, p < .05), as well as career commitment making (indirect effect = .05, p < .05). Theory, policy, and practice implications are discussed.

Authors

• Sean K. Flanagan, Boston University, Wheelock School of Education and Human Development
  Presenting Author

• Jingtong Pan, American Institutes for Research
  Non-Presenting Author

• Isabelle Beulaygue, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Center for Promise Boston University, Wheelock College of Education and Human Development
  Non-Presenting Author

• Shannon M. Varga, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Center for Promise Boston University, Wheelock College of Education and Human Development
  Non-Presenting Author

• Jon Zaff, Center for Promise
  Non-Presenting Author