Administering narrative career counselling in a diverse setting : trimming the sails to the wind

Abstract

The purpose of this article was to investigate the extent to which a postmodern, narrative approach to career counselling can be utilized to address complexities in career counselling settings characterized by diversity. We also contemplated whether the inclusion of multiple approaches towards the data collection for assisting clients in career choices is indeed possible. Our expectation was that this article could contribute to advancing our theory base in career counselling to one which is more inclusive, holistic, and contextual. We reconsidered assumptions possibly separating existing career counselling practices in SA from theory because, in our view, using the framework of a constructivist and postmodern approach also links practice and theory with societal 'realities'. We invite future research to explore and explain the theoretical associations we have established by constructing a resonant career theory. We also encourage documentation of the exploration of our premises in clinical cases. Lastly, we propose the revision of training programmes to answer to diversity particulars so that theory-practice integration can be strengthened, and we support transformation processes focused on recruiting students representative of SA diversity to study in the field of educational psychology, focusing on career counselling, and to equip them with the skills to deal with larger and smaller groups satisfactorily.