Critical Reflections on Career Education and Guidance: Promoting Social Justice

Around the globe, career education and guidance is being presented as the answer to social exclusion, ensuring economic competitiveness and prosperity. The profile of career education and guidance has never been higher. Yet, current policy discussions have centred on individuals' development of 'self managed' careers within a global labour market, placing employability skills above all concerns. This book goes beyond the rhetoric of the 'self managed' career and 'employability skills' by exploring career education and guidance from critical and radical standpoints. The contributors question the economic underpinning that has driven social agendas, arguing that career education and guidance needs to place greater emphasis on developing socially just practices. The views expressed help to open up the debate around the impact of globalisation as consideration is given to the ways in which career professionals might actively enable, empower and promote the democratic engagement of all in the shaping of their worlds. The contributors consider the issues within a range of contexts including 'race', gender, disability and social class. "Critical Reflections on Career Education and Guidance" is essential reading for students, academics, practitioners and researchers who wish to achieve a greater understanding of the contexts involved.