Imagination. Life is your creation

Photo courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures – © 2023 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

In a recent LinkedIn post Dr Naeema Pasha talked about the contribution of Barbie (Barbara Millicent Roberts) to the field of career theory, citing her You Can Be Anything slogan as the encapsulation of her theoretical position.

This has been viewed by some as a direct oppositional response to more structuralist theories of gendered career choices, exemplified by Gottfredson’s Circumscription and Compromise. However, Roberts’ initial forays into the active de-gendering of career stereotypes pre-dates the formulation of Circumscription & Compromise by almost 20 years.

Some have criticised Roberts’ approach as potentially raising women’s career expectations to a level which increases the risk of a failure to realise unrealistic ideals, possibly leading to career inaction (Verbruggen & De Vos, 2020).

Whilst the use of the word ‘Be’ rather than ‘Do’ places Roberts’ theory firmly within the domain of career identity, some have argued that it conceptualises identity in very superficial terms. They argue that it should be more accurately expressed as You Can Pretend to Be Anything If You Buy the Appropriate Wardrobe and Accessories. However, Cutts, Hooley & Yates (2015) have explored the important role that dress and appearance plays in the formulation and expression of professional identity.

Others have characterised Roberts as playing a role in condoning women’s tragic complicity in their own objectification in order to procure a degree of safety within an exploitative, hedonistic patriarchy (Dif et al, 1997).

If you’re interested in other career theories related to women and minoritised ethnic groups see this article from NGRF.

Positive Aspirations

I would like to thank Vinny Potter from Queen Mary, University of London for contributing this post — David

A spire... (I'll get my coat)

I work in two distinct careers settings. One is with high-achieving students at the University of London and the other is with clients who often have few qualifications (if any) at a small job club where I volunteer in the evenings.

At the job club we try hard to engage with NEETs (those Not in Education, Employment or Training). We have limited success. The biggest issue I have found with this group is not their low economic status nor lack of decent qualifications, but a major lack of aspiration.

There have been quite a few studies into the link between achievement and aspiration. One of the latest has come from researchers at Queen Mary University of London (Rothon et al., 2011) and it demonstrates a clear association between aspiration and achievement.

educational aspirations had a strong association with actual achievement, remaining associated even after controlling for a number of other variables, including prior achievement