Lecture Notes: Ginsburg et al. vs. Super

Introduction

• Presented by Coach Jen from Academic Coaching for World Changers.
• Focus on comparing Ginsburg et al. with Donald Super in career development theories.
• Note: Super borrowed ideas from Ginsburg.

Ginsburg et al.'s Career Development Theory

• Team: Ginsburg, Axelrod, and Herma.
• Stages of Career Development:
  • Fantasy Stage (Birth - 11 years): Career choices are made without regard to skills or job opportunities, heavily based on exposure and imagination.
  • Tentative Stage (11 - 17 years): Choices are made based on interests, abilities, and values. Example: Dreaming of becoming an NBA player, but reconsidering based on realistic abilities.
  • Realistic Stage (17+ years): Narrowing down career choices and beginning to act on them.
• Key Points:
  • Stage-based model ending by early 20s.
  • Career choices are revised as individuals mature (later acknowledged as a lifelong process).
  • Important to remember the order of stages: Fantasy, Tentative, Realistic.

Donald Super's Lifespan, Life Space Theory

• Stages of Development:
  • Growth Stage (up to 14 years): Developing self-concept, attitudes, needs, world of work awareness.
  • Exploratory Phase (15 - 24 years): Trying career ideas through education and hobbies.
  • Establishment Stage (25 - 44 years): Entering the workforce and establishing a career.
  • Maintenance Stage (45 - 65 years): Continuing established career, possibly updating skills.
  • Decline/Disengagement Stage (65+ years): Preparing for and living in retirement, considering encore careers.
• Key Concepts:
  • Career development is a lifelong process, allowing for multiple cycles through stages.
  • Life roles influence career choices (student, worker, leisure, etc.).
  • Self-concept and career maturity are vital.

Comparison: Ginsburg vs. Super

• Flexibility: Super's model is more flexible, accommodating changes and life roles.
• Lifelong Process: Super's model emphasizes lifelong career development, Ginsburg's original model concluded in early adulthood.
• Life Roles: Super introduced the concept of life roles affecting career development, not present in Ginsburg's model.

Conclusion

• Both theorists contributed significantly to career development theories.
• Ginsburg laid the groundwork with stage-based career development.
• Super expanded it to include life roles and a flexible, lifelong process.

Practice Question

• Key Difference: Ginsburg focused on stages, Super focused on self-concept.

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