Chapter 3 - Cross-Cultural Perspectives in Career Development

Statistics of the Changing Workforce

• current breakdown of ethnic groups in US

  • Latinx individuals comprise 17.8%

  • Black/African American 12.3%

  • Asian American 5.4%

  • Native American 0.7%

  • Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander 0.2%

• since the 1960s women and Latinx population continue to be the fastest growing groups in today’s workforce

• current breakdown of groups in the workforce

  • Latino 74.4% (higher than Whites)

  • Men 53.2%

  • Women 46.8%

  • African American men have had consistently lower rates than the rate for all men; African American women generally had higher rates than rates for all women and much higher rates than African-American men; rates for both Black men and women are projected to decline from 2016 to 2026

Contributing Factors to Diverse Workforce

• rising number of immigrants

• civil rights movements

• educational opportunities

• global economic changes (increase in living expenses)

• lifestyle choices

• changes in types of employment

Important Factors

• intersectionality -the idea of many identities intersecting together, For example, the experience of a Black woman will be different than a Black man and will include different levels of privilege and discrimination

• all minority groups experience

  • limited access to quality educational opportunities and resources

  • occupational stereotypes

  • occupational discrimination

  • occupational segregation

  • microaggressions

  • the glass ceiling

Occupational Stereotypes

• widespread and overgeneralized perception of certain characteristics associated to a group of people in career domains (i.e. Latinas as hotel staff; Asian American as engineers, etc.)

• these exist because

  • the traditional view of gender roles or ethnic groups in the occupations

  • the presence of certain people in presume occupations for a long time

  • media coverage with stereotypical; images of people working in certain occupation

Occupational Segregation

• an unbalanced distribution of members of an ethnic group across occupations; overrepresented in certain occupations and underrepresented in other occupations

• it is not known whether occupational stereotypes lead to occupational segregation or occupational segregation reinforces occupational stereotypes

• occupational segregation puts minority people at risk of being denied their capacities because of the restricted opportunities and is the result of discrimination

Occupational Discrimination

• overt or subtle unfair treatment against targeted groups

  • by-passing a minority member for promotion

  • giving poorer reviews

  • verbal bullying (including “jokes”)

  • violence against minority members

• prejudice in work settings breakdown    

  • 46% of African Americans

  • 34% of Asian Americans

  • 27% of Hispanic Americans

  • 17% of White Americans

Microaggressions

• verbal, behavioral, and environmental indignities, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative racial slights and insults to the target person or group

• imply

  • being alien in one’s own land (where are you from, I can’t believe you speak English so well)

  • being inferior (they designed the typewriter to be easy enough for a woman)

  • denial of racial reality/sexism/cisgender privilege (I’m sure it’s not that, it’s just the way they are)

  • pathologizing/abnormality (well they’re just crazy)

Glass Ceiling

• barriers based on attitudinal or organizational bias that prevent some groups of people from advancing in an organization

• exist due to

  • societal barriers - gender role stereotypes, biases, and prejudice

  • institutional barriers - isolated women workers, lack of pipeline of women leaders, lack of mentoring and management training for women, and lack of advancement opportunities

  • inadequate government policies and guidelines

Gender Barriers to Career Development

• few women at the beginning of the 20th century could work outside of home or hold any professional positions other than iun educational or service-oriented settings

• stereotypical view of roles for women is that they are innate caretakers and nurturers. The implied meaning is that women are better suited for domestic work and taking care of family rather than working outside of home

• occupational limitations changed during the civil right’s movement

• women are still less represented in science, technology, math, and engineering (STEM) fields and in top administrative positions in any organizations

• women avoid science and technology occupations due to lack of role model, lack of encouragement from others, and lack of self-efficacy

• 40 female college presidents out of 254 American college presidents

• women are paid only 82% of men’s compensation

• women disproportionately work in low-paid, less stable jobs and have less mobility

Race and Ethnicity Barriers

• racial and ethnic minorities have similar aspirations, but they are not properly represented in all levels and types of work as compared to White Americans; this is due to discrimination

• African Americans are overrepresented in poverty, unemployment, and lower level occupations with little room for professional growth and career advancement

• Latinx especially Latinas, were underrepresented at all educational levels and had lower high school graduation rates. Consequently, they had restricted employment and were more likely to work in lower paid, less skilled occupations

• the label “model minority” overshadows the needs of Asian Americans because lacking awareness of the true situation blocks the access and availability of resources to help members in needs; thus, Asian Americans are more likely to be underserved

• due to the history and government policy of preservation, few Native Americans participate in work outside of their tribes, and therefore, have limited knowledge of the world of work or have a narrow range of occupational choices

Religious Barriers

• not all faiths have an equal voice in society

• the work environment may or may not accommodate workers from diverse religious backgrounds

• religious background has an impact on decision-making processes, career choices, and vocational behaviors\

• religion & spirituality can have a positive affect on how people cope with career-related challenges

Socioeconomic Barriers

• is one of the key barriers for individuals’ pursuit of educational & career attainment

• classism is prejudice & discrimination against others to maintain one’s own perceived social status

• low SES can limit one’s opportunities to access resources, occupational aspiration, or attainment

• people in poverty and the working class can’t fully explore their potentials and capacities due to limited resources so view work as a means to obtain income for a living rather than for self-concept implementation or self-expression

Disability

• the American Disability Act defines disability as physical, mental, or emotional impairment that substantially limits functioning in a major life activity, including work

• barriers to workforce participations include

  • employer attitudes and discrimination

  • lack of adequate preparation for the workplace

  • lack of postsecondary education and vocational training

  • lack of available community employment services

  • perceived difficulties of services by the professionals

• despite the legislation promoting assistance offered to people with disabilities to transition to employment, there is still lacking applicable theory or sufficient education programs to prepare youth for career planning and performance

• counselors need to gain competencies in the following areas

  • gain knowledge of federal and state laws, guidelines, policies, and institutional rules

  • understand basic types and characteristics of disabilities

  • become aware of barriers and issues from employers as well as the public about needs and abilities of people with disabilities in relation to work

  • gain knowledge and skills to perform career assessments that are ecologically fit to clients with disabilities with goals

  • become familiar with resources in the community for educational and employment opportunities for people with disabilities

  • understand the policies and methods of providing appropriate accommodations in work settings

  • have knowledge of vocational rehabilitation programs and career intervention services in the community

Sexual/Affectional Identity Barriers

• specific barriers include

  • sexual identity disclosure & management

  • workplace discrimination

  • negotiation of benefits

  • lack of resources and services

• college LGBTQ+ students are afraid of being exposed as gay or being misdiagnosed when using assessments or seeking help

• assessments may have questionable fairness and validity to the population

• the unemployment rate for trans people is 3 times higher than for the general population and four times higher for trans people of color

• counselors working with LGBTQ+ clients need to be mindful that not everyone is ready for confrontation, so it is critical to understand LGBTQ+ identity development status and apply the intervention strategies that fit clients’ level of LGBTQ identity

Counselor Competency in Diversity Factors

• multicultural and social justice counseling competencies requires

  • counselors develop self awareness of their own social status including privileges and barriers, their attitudes and belies, and their strengths & limitations

  • counselors develop process skills to become mindful of their social status and implications of it to counseling

  • counselors take actions to increase their self awareness

• five components that guide culturally competent career intervention

  • cultural identity of the individuals

  • cultural conceptions of career problems

  • cultural contexts and psychosocial environment

  • cultural dynamics of the therapeutic relationship

  • overall cultural assessment