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◊  

It  is  unacceptable  for  205  million  people  who  want  to  work  to  be  

unemployed.    It  is  unacceptable  for  a  country  as  rich  as  the  United  

States  to  have  15  million  people  unemployed.    It  is  unacceptable  for  1.2  

billion  workers  living  with  their  families  to  live  on  $2  per  day.    It  is  

unacceptable  that  75%  of  the  people  living  in  poverty  are  women  and  

children.    It  is  unacceptable  to  have  300,000  wounded  warriors  

(soldiers  who  were  injured  in  combat)  in  the  United  States  looking  for  

work.    It  is  unacceptable  that  people  whose  lives  are  severely  disrupted    

by  tragedies  like  tsunamis,  hurricanes,  and  nuclear  meltdowns  take  

years  to    find  work  again;  if  indeed  they  ever  work  again.    I  find  all  of  

these  things  unacceptable.    What  do  you  find  unacceptable  when  it  

comes  to  people  who  want  to  work  but  can’t?    Take  a  moment  to  ask  

yourself  that  question.    I  believe  if  people  want  to  work  they  ought  to  

be  able  to  work  and  I  believe  that  there  is  work  to  be  done.    I  believe  

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that  we  can  find  the  right  amount  of  work  for  the  right  amount  of  

people.    That  leads  me  to  this  big  question  for  us.  

The  big  question  that  I  want  us  to  ponder  is,  “do  vocational  

psychologists  and  career  counselors  have  a  role  to  play  in  right-­‐sizing  

the  workforce?”  

I  chose  that  question  in  light  of  a  multitude  of  issues  facing  society  at  

this  point  in  time.    I  will  present  a  challenge  to  you  that  is  grounded  in  

how  I  believe  my  training  as  a  counseling  psychologist  with  a  

concentration  in  vocational  and  multicultural  psychology  has  influenced  

the  dispensation  of  my  role  as  Vice  President  for  Student  Affairs  at  a  

large  metropolitan  research  university  in  Memphis,  Tennessee.    You  will  

see  that  our  mission  in  Student  Affairs  is  centered  on  creating  a  

learning  culture  that  trains  individuals  to  think  critically  and  learn  to  live  

well  together  in  a  diverse  world,  because  we  are  training  for  jobs  and  

roles  that  have  yet  to  be  created.  

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INTRODUCTION    

◊    Right  sizing  is  a  term  that  is  most  often  applied  when  a  corporation  is  

trying  to  determine  the  number  of  people  needed  to  deliver  a  good  or  

service  produced  by  that  corporation  for  customers  in  an  efficient  and  

effective  manner  that  satisfies  the  customer  and  makes  a  profit  for  the  

company  and  shareholders.    Economists  have  long  pondered  issues  of  

right-­‐sizing  workforces,  but  vocational  psychologists  and  career  

counselors…..not  so  much.    We  have  more  often  been  concerned  with  

career  choices  and  development.    While  economists  might  not  highlight  

the  individual  as  much  as  vocational  psychologists  and  career  

counselors,  situated  right  in  the  center  of  what  they  talk  about  is  the  

worker.    And  the  worker  and  work  are  central  to  what  career  

counselors,  vocational  psychologists,  practitioners  and  researchers  

think  about,  making  work  and  workers  key  to  both  disciplines.  

◊   In  this  presentation,  I  will  focus  on  four  aspects  of  ‘right  sizing’:1.    

unemployment-­‐and  under-­‐employment;  2.  natural  and  human-­‐made  

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disasters;  3.  urban  poverty,  and  4.  demographic  changes  as  related  to  

access  to  jobs  and  wealth.  In  the  discussion  of  each  area,  I  will  pose  

questions  relevant  to  the  potential  roles  that  psychologists  and  

counselors  might  play  in  ‘right  sizing’.      I  will  share  a  little  of  what  we  do  

at  my  University.  I  will  ask  each  of  you  to  push  yourselves  harder  than  

you  have  ever  pushed  to  think  about  what  you  can  do  about  using  your  

skills,  talents,  theories  and  research  abilities  to  define  and  create  work  

in  such  a  way  that  everybody  works  who  wants  to  work.I  want  you  to  

do  something  about  the  unacceptable.        

I. UNEMPLOYMENT  -­‐  AND  UNDER-­‐  EMPLOYMENT  

◊In  pondering  the  next  great  questions  in  vocational  psychology,  

it  seemed  reasonable  to  think  about  the  current  global  and  economic  

crisis  in  the  United  States  and  around  the  world.    Recall  thatpoliticians  

and  the  news  media  labeled  the  years  between  2008-­‐  2010  as  the  

“Great  Recession.”    The  name  is  certainly  a  reminder  of  the  similarities  

between  this  most  recent  recession  and  the  “Great  Depression”  of  

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1929.    Even  though  the  recession  did  not  meet  the  technical  definition  

for  a  depression,  many  families  have  been  touched  in  significant  ways  

that  impact  personal  income  and  the  ability  to  make  ends  meet  Or  just  

get  by)  .    Many  people  are  afraid  that  they  will  never  work  again  and  

will  not  be  able  to  take  care  of  their  families.  

  My  journey  to  think  about  our  role  in  right-­‐sizing  the  work  force  

was  probably  influenced  by  all  of  my  training,  education  and  life  

experiences.    But  what  I  most  vividly  remember  as  a  pivotal  point  in  my  

thinking  about  the  world  came  on  a  day  in  2006  when,  as  I  was  taking  a  

long  walk  in  the  park  in  Memphis,  TN,  I  questioned  why  the  United  

States  was  at  war  in  Iraq  and  Afghanistan.    And,  further,  why  war  at  all?    

I  understand  that  there  are  numerous  reasons  and  philosophies  about  

war,  but  I  believe  that  when  people  lose  faith  and  gain  fear  that  “there  

is  not  enough,”they  decide  to  fight.    For  some,  the  fear  is  quite  basic-­‐-­‐  

not  having  a  meal  to  feed  a  hungry  child;  for  others,  it  is  a  fear  of  not  

having  enough  money  for  the  second  corporate  jet.    For  both,  fear  is  

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accompanied  by  the  lack  of  faith  that  THERE  IS  ENOUGH.    So  we  fight.    I  

firmly  believe  THERE  IS  ENOUGH  but  I  realize  that  my  belief  requires  

rethinking  how  we  define  work  or  at  least  how  we  value  work.      It  

occurs  to  me  that  people  need  satisfaction  and  purpose  in  their  lives.    

According  to  Eggerth  (2008)  the  correlation  between  job  and  life  

satisfaction  is  .44.    If  that  is  true,  then  work  is  central  to  people’  lives  

and  well  being.    So,  the  question  becomes,,  HOW  DO  WE  GET  ENOUGH  

WORK  For  THE  PEOPLE?  

◊For  purposes  of  this  presentation  let’s  beginwith  the  premise  

that  in  spite  of  the  unemployment  numbers,  there  is    enough  work  to  

“right  size”  the  work  force.    This  statement  may  seem  to  defy  logic  

when  we  look  at  the  intractable  unemployment  numbers  in  the  United  

States  where  the  percent  of  unemployed  remains  well  above  9  percent.    

There  are  15  million  people  unemployed  in  the  United  States.    

Worldwide,  the  unemployment  rate  stands  at  about  6.2%.    That  6.2%  

that  sounds  like  a  small  number  until  you  realize  that  it  represents  205  

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million  people.    That’s  a  lot  of  people  not  doing  the  work  that  will  bring  

them  satisfaction.    If  we  look  at  the  numbers  more  closely  in  the  U.S.,  

unemployment  differs  by  race,  ethnicity  and  gender:    7.2%  for  Asians;  

8.7%  for  White  Americans;  12%  for  Hispanics;  and  16.3%  for  African  

Americans.    Before  the  recession  the  unemployment  rate  for  men  and  

women  was  about  the  same;  post  recession  the  unemployment  rate  for  

women  isaround  8%,  while  that  for  men  is  about  10%.    A  closer  look  

inside  global  unemployment  numbers  reveals  that  youth  between  15  -­‐

24  have  a  12.6%  unemployment  rate.    The  number  is  40%  in  Spain  and  

23.6%  in  North  Africa.    What  are  unemployed  young  men  and  women  

to  do  with  their  time?

Economists point to such statistics as reasons for much anger

among American citizens at this point in time. One could wonder if the

anger is proportionate to the percentage of unemployment within ethnic

and racial groups. And why shouldn’t they be angry, because for people

who want to work, we don’t make it possible; that is unacceptable.

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◊Such anger probably increases the divide between the races, between

genders, between ethnic groups, and between countries. Some reports

assign part of the cause of the unrest in Tunisia to unemployment and

under employment. The International Labor Organization reports that

the vulnerable rate (those people in low wage jobs part time jobs and

underemployed) is 50.1%. This fact is important because this number

was declining prior to 2007 but now appears to be flat and unrelenting.

1.2 billion workers living with their families earn less than $2.00 per day

and many live in extreme poverty at $1.25 per day. Peck, 2010, claims

that when the US recovers from the Great Recession many people will

still be left with the helplessness caused by chronic under and

unemployment. Unemployment and under employment carry high

human costs. The effects on physical and mental health can be felt

across generations as educational attainment of succeeding generations

is effected by the poverty of the previous generations. That is just

unacceptable.

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These statistics raise the question of the role vocational

psychologists might have in right-sizing the workforce. And would such

right-sizing include helping to more equitably distribute employment

and unemployment across groups of peoples? These questions

presuppose that vocational psychologists and career counselors have an

interest in such social justice issues. Given that vocational psychologists

are often counseling psychologists and counseling psychologists claim

an interest and expertise in multiculturalism and social justice, it is not a

huge leap to assume vocational psychologists and career counselors hold

such an interest…. and want to see that there are enough jobs so that

people see that there is enough.

◊Indeed, if vocational psychologists were to take a serious look at the

distribution of unemployment across race, ethnicity, gender, and global

societies, we might discover some ways to effect change in the current

unequal distribution. This argument assumes that large disparities in

jobs could impact the divide between the haves and the have-nots. The

2009 census revealed a widening gap between the rich and the poor.

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Currently the 20% of Americans in the US earning over $1,000,000 a

year capture nearly 50% of all the income generated in the United States,

while those below the poverty line garner just 3.4%. Is this

acceptable? Other countries like India are engaged in discussions

about the widening gap between rich and poor. If the discrepancy

becomes great enough then it becomes more difficult for different

classes and categories of people to learn to live well together in a diverse

world. Too much scarcity can exacerbate the fear that there is not

enough. So, are there enough jobs to meet demand?

◊In years past, jobs were more predictable. For example the

United States was founded as an Agrarian society. The kinds of jobs

were known and the size of the work force needed was understood.

That society needed land and low cost labor in order to develop. The

land was generally taken from Native Americans and the labor was

provided by slaves from Africa. Clearly, everyone in the society was

not living well. Luckily, enough people found that unacceptable and

change occurred. As the United States grew, the demand for goods and

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services remained and, by the twentieth century, the citizens adapted to

living together more cooperatively and fairly well. As the nation grew in

peace and prosperity, people began to have greater choices about what

work they could do. Those choices were influenced by conditions within

the society, including the need for the “right-size” work force as dictated

by those conditions. For example, women in large numbers began to

work outside the home during World War II because many men were off

fighting in the war. There were not enough men to produce enough

goods and services for the people in the United States. Our culture

changed in order to make it acceptable for women to do jobs outside the

home that were previously reserved for men. When men returned from

that war the workforce was too large for the number of workers needed

to deliver what the society needed. The society found that unacceptable

so changes were made that allowed men to return to college to pursue

higher education and change jobs.

◊Would vocational psychologists have been able to predict these

needs and changes such that the society would have been more prepared

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for the changes and impacts? If we think of the needs for the workforce

in terms of the centrality of work in the lives of people, would

vocational psychologists believe that they had a role in such cataclysmic

changes in the workforce…changes that could now be occurring as a

result of the migration from a manufacturing society to a

knowledge/information society and changes in the demographic of the

workforce? If we collaborate with economists could we get a little better

at predicting right occupations and right numbers of workers?

◊There is currently little to no demand for some manufacturing

related or simple labor jobs. For example, sewing machine operators,

computer operators, postal service clerks, and desktop publishers are in

decline, as are cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators,

and tenders, metal and plastic. On the other hand, as a knowledge

economy grows and as the population has aged, the fastest growing

occupations are in the sciences, technical and health areas. It seems

that this kind of information would be important for vocational

psychologists to know and understand. And yet, what will the

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psychologists do with such information? If the psychologists know that

the society needs more of one type of worker than the other, do we

participate in helping people to understand that or even select those high

demand jobs? If we know that many jobs will be low waged; require

only short to medium on the job training, would we still encourage

people to select those jobs? Would we encourage the completion of so

many college degrees? Would vocational psychologists and career

counselors have a role in helping people get to those jobs if it did not fit

our values? Would that be ethical? And would it be acceptable?

II. DISASTERS

◊In addition to unemployment and underemployment, a second area of

concern with regard to right-sizing is disasters. Don’t you find it heart

wrenching to see the devastating impact that disasters have on the work

life of affected individuals? What role might vocational psychologists

play in the aftermath of a disaster?

◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊

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In the United States two recent major disasters have had a significant

impact on the economic lives of individuals in the southeastern part of

the country; Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and the Gulf Oil Spill in 2010.

Nearly 130,000 jobs were lost post-Katrina between August 2005

and August 2006 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Nearly

1,500 lives were lost and damage to public and private enterprise was

estimated at $81 billion dollars.

◊Perhaps the most telling comment relevant for vocational

psychologists is the quote provided to a Chaplain on-site after the

hurricane: “I have no idea who I am today; and I don’t know how to

figure out who I will be tomorrow.” This quote reinforces the meaning

of work in the lives of individuals. In Japan after the March 11, 2011

Earthquake / Tsunami / Nuclear Crisis, 22,000 people are still missing or

have died. 500,000 people were displaced. During the first quarter of

the year the Japanese economy shrank 3.7%, effectively signaling a

recession. People are now afraid to live in highrises if they have a home

and many without homes are still in shelters. What happened to the

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lives, jobs, careers of all these people? While psychologists have done

an excellent job of defining protocol for immediate response after a

disaster, including taking care of life, health and safety, it is not clear

that vocational psychologists have designed theories around career

assistance following a disaster. What happens when the life one has

built is washed away in a disaster that lasts a few moments or a few

hours and recovery takes years. Five years after Hurricane Katrina,

Black residents of the lower 9th ward are still displaced at a far greater

rate than Whites.

◊Nearly 600,000 Haitians are not resettled. Many still live in tents

19 months after the earthquake of 2010. I find that unacceptable.

What can vocational psychology theories tell us about how to help these

individuals restore their lives? Will these individuals have a place in a

knowledge economy? What do we know about how disasters impact

career development and vocational choice? Do current vocational/career

development theories offer any guidance for intervention ?

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◊Social Cognitive Career Theories by Lent and Brown (2004)

might suggest some answers. If survivors are still displaced at least one

year post-disaster, would it make sense to be talking with those

individuals about potential work goals and then begin to assess their

efficacy about possibilities of returning to a job and succeeding or

rethinking the type of job they look for? Interventions could be targeted

toward outcomes expectations as individuals are assisted in actively

pursuing any work that will enable them to survive during the crisis.

While working with disaster survivors may not seem the best time to

conduct research, it might provide further opportunities to move career

research from the college population to more accurate real life situations

and therefore begin to make vocational theories more robust. If

vocational psychologists couple such research with targeted and

effective interventions, then psychologists could begin to define a role

for vocational psychologists in the aftermath of disaster.

◊ Further, such interventions could be useful in helping the right

individuals deliver the right services and goods at the right time. Would

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such moves fill a potential social justice mission of right-sizing the

workforce?

◊Related to natural disasters are those man-made disasters such as

wars. What is the role of vocational psychologists in the life of the

wounded Warrior? According to the Department of Defense in 2009,

there were approximately 185,000 troops from the United States serving

in Iraq and Afghanistan. I don’t know the global number but it’s a lot

after ten years. The U.S. Department of Defense has also indicated that

more than 36,000 veterans from the wars are injured. And more than

that world-wide.

◊The unemployment rate for veterans in the United States is 13.3

percent. One vet said “I served my country and provided all this, and

come back and what do I have now? Maybe a lot of bad memories that I

don’t want and skills that nobody recognizes.” I find this

unacceptable. I am sure that returning soldiers around the globe find

themselves in similar situations. So the question might be, how do

veterans return to their jobs in civilian life after traumatic tours of duty?

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There has been much documentation about the increase in psychological

services for veterans through hospitals. Much of the intervention is

around injury from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and physical injuries.

The documentation of the needs for those psychological interventions is

clear. What is not clear is whether there is a definitive need for

vocational psychologists & whether vocational psychologists have

viewed service with wounded soldiers as a career option. Vocational

psychology and career counseling in the U.S. grew out of the need for

the readjustment of veterans returning from World War II.

◊Research in the vocational area grewexponentially from those

beginning days in the late 1940s and 50s. Career counseling grew

because so many veterans took advantage of a US government program,

the G I Bill, as they returned to campus to obtain degrees in fields more

appropriate for civilian life. Perhaps now is the time for vocational

psychologists to once again lend their skills to returning veterans. If we

push ourselves, we can do more to solve the problem.

III. URBAN POVERTY

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◊Is there a role for Vocational Psychologists in populations

concentrated in urban poverty?Poverty in urban areas has increased as

people have moved to the city.

◊In 1975 only 28 % of the world’s population lived in cities; by

2000 over half the world’s population lived in cities. Urban poverty

involves striking inequity between groups of people—the haves and the

have nots. World-wide women and children make up over 70% of those

living in poverty.In India it has been reported that 73% of those in

poverty are women and children. That certainly is the case where I live

in Memphis, TN in the US. While the national unemployment numbers

are just below 10%, in some urban areas unemployment rates topped 20.

UNACCETABLE. Large numbers of Black and Latinos are

concentrated in urban areas. Poverty is disproportionately elevated

among these groups in the United States. Only 9.4 percent of whites are

in poverty compared to 25.8 percent for African Americans and 25.3

percent for Hispanics. The data shows that a large number of ethnic and

racial individuals who live in urban centers are poor and unemployed.

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◊It seems reasonable to ask if vocational psychologists have a role

in the work and career lives of the urban poor. According to Blustein,

McWherter and Perry (2005), “Vocational psychology has been

ambivalent about issues pertaining to the struggles of people who have

little, if any, access to the opportunity structure.” (p.142). Being

ambivalent is unacceptable. Blustein et all (2005) do advocate for

a more active and social justice posture for vocational psychologists and

recommend approaches that combine Prillellensky’s (1997)

emancipatory communitarian approach and Lent, Brown, and Hackett’s

(2008) Social Cognitive Career Theory. The authors’ recommendations

have appeal because individuals who are struggling just to satisfy basic

human needs are not likely to be concerned with their career likes and

dislikes and their fit in an environment that is consistent with their

personality as is suggested by the Holland Theory (1973). These

individuals are often poorly educated and have very low employability

skills. They have problems with shelter, access to health care, social

security and livelihoods. They are also likely to be hard to reach in an

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organized fashion unless they are in regular high schools or adult

educational programs.

◊But how do vocational psychologists make a difference in the

lives of urban youth who spend their days hanging out on street corners?

One of the recommendations from Blustein, et al is that researchers and

practitioners simultaneously work from the bottom up and top down –

i.e., administrators who fund and run programs should work with

members of neighborhoods who need the program. I find that

acceptable! It could be that vocational psychologists need to partner

with people who are already engaged in helping disenfranchised

individuals. Do vocational psychologists and career counselors have

something to offer to urban planners and government policy planers?

Are some career counselors willing to work with the young and the poor

in the urban areas where they live? Would it be possible for the

psychology training programs to partner with such programs in order to

deliver vocational interventions to these individuals? Graduate students

could provide interventions as a part of the practical training that is

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required in applied psychology programs. Of course the emancipatory

communitarian approach would dictate a partnership with participants

and such participants would provide some of the direction about how

interventions will be delivered. Such partnerships could yield valuable

insight and potential change for vocational theories and interventions.

The larger question then might become, do vocational psychologists

want a role in urban poverty centers?

IV. DEMOGRAPHIC SHIFTS

◊Will the scholarship and practice of vocational psychologists

change as the demographics shift?Populations  in  developing  countries  

are  growing  and  surpassingthose  of  industrialized  nations.    Much  of  the  

change  is  attributable  to  a  lowering  of  birth  rates  as  countries  improve  

in  education  and  wealth.    In  Europe  the  countries  with  the  lowest  birth  

rates  are  Spain  and  Italy.    Germany  will  lose  20%  of  its  population  in  the  

next  40years.    In  fact  according  to  Cheese,  2008,    (Cheese,  P.  B.,  

Thomas,  R.  J.  &  Craig,  E.  The  Talent  Powered  Organization.  London:  

Kogan  Page,  2008.)  there  will  be  such  huge  shifts  in  populations  that  

23  

 

some  countries  will  have  significant  shortages  of  workers  whereas  

others  will  have  significantly  more  workers  than  are  needed.    

◊  For  example,  in  the  next  20  years,  countries  like  India,  Pakistan,  

and  Mexico  will  have  significantly  more  skilled  workers  than  needed  

◊and  countries  like  Japan,  Russia  and  the  UK  will  have  large  shortages.    

There  will  be  within  countries  shifts  as  well.  

By 2042 minority individuals in the United States are projected to

be in the majority. The question becomes, will these population shifts

make any difference in the scholarship and applied work of vocational

psychologists? Diemer and Ali (2009) have argued that vocational

psychologists need to include a more complex and nuanced discussion

of social class into their research and theories. The authors maintain that

social class is essential to career development and choice because class

impacts access to resources such as types of neighborhoods, schools,

jobs, role models, leisure activities and so forth.

Early career theories did not include much, if anything, about

race/ethnicity and social class. As multicultural theorists began entering

24  

 

the dialogue there was a call for inclusion of such factors. As the

discussion about the inclusion of socio-cultural factors increased, the

inclusion of social class increased It became clear that the issues of

race/ethnicity, gender and social class are confounding variables. It

could be that as the demographics shift drastically in 20 to 40 years that

the interaction of these variables will result in significant change as well.

◊ Further complicating career theories is the issue of age.

Working age individuals are defined as those 18 years to 64 years old in

the U.S. In 2008 in the United States, 63 percent of the population fell

into this category. By 2050 that percentage is projected to decline to 57

percent. Will such a decline impact the structure of opportunity for all

groups in the society? Deimer and Ali (2009) have argued that social

class is influenced by inherited wealth and the wealth of the current

workers’ parents. If more Americans are retired, to what extent will

their retirement affect the social class of their children? In China they

talk about the 4-2-1 scenario-- 1 Child supporting 2 parents and 4

grandparents. Surely resources of the elderly will impact the resources

25  

 

of their children and subsequently their children’s children.

Additionally, all of the changes in demographics - wealth structure,

social classes and so on - will help to determine the opportunities for

how different groups will interact with each other. There must be

acceptable ways for the ascension of the young. How will vocational

psychologists take such interactions into consideration as our theories

are revised and our interventions change?

CONCLUSION

So,  if  we  accept  the  definition  of  right-­‐sizing  the  workforce  as  the  

right  number  of  people  it  takes  to  deliver  the  right  amount  of  goods  

and  services  for  all  the  people  at  the  right  cost  so  that  all  may  live  

reasonably  well,  it  is  easy  to  see  that  all  of  the  categories  of  people  

described  above  will  impact  the  number  of  people  in  the  workforce.      

◊This  presentation  has  highlighted  4  major  points  that  could  

influence  how  people  view  work  and  their  ability  to  participate  in  the  

workforce  in  a  manner  that  they  can  enjoy.    Number  one  was  the  

26  

 

current  unemployment  numbers  and  the  fear  that  there  will  not  be  

enough  work.    The  second  was  natural  and  manmade  disasters  such  as  

Hurricane  Katrina,  the  Nuclear  Crisis  in  Japan  and  wars  like  those  in  Iraq  

and  Afghanistan.    Such  disasters  and  wars  dislocate  and  displace  

workers  in  such  large  numbers  that  they  impact  the  workforces.    And  

number  three,  the  rise  of  urban  poverty  centers  helps  to  widen  the  gap  

between  rich  and  poor,  thus  impacting  our  ability  to  live  well  together  

and  understand  that  there  is  enough.    And  number  four,  as  the  

demographics  in  society  change,  the  kinds  of  people  with  access  to  jobs  

and  wealth  changes.    These  kinds  of  changes  are  likely  to  affect  the  

complexion  and  size  of  the  workforce.    It  may  also  be  clear  that  if  we  

describe  work  as  “paid  activity  for  goods  and  services,”then  it  is  likely  

that  there  will  be  more  people  able  and  interested  in  working  than  

there  is  work  to  be  done.      

Vocational  psychologists,  counseling  psychologists  and  many  

career  counselors  espouse  values  that  include  all  people  living  well.    

27  

 

How  then  do  we  play  a  role  in  right  sizing  the  workforce?    Blustein  et  al  

(2005)  challenged  vocational  psychologists  to  accept”...  an  activist  

social  justice  agenda,  to  improve  the  education  and  working  lives  of  all  

people.  “(p.  143)      

◊If  vocational  psychologists  were  to  accept  that  challenge,  would  

it  mean  that  we  would  need  to  expand  our  definition  of  work?  

 The  feminist  movement  can  be  credited  with  introducing  into  the  

lexicon  the  concept  of  paid  work  and  non-­‐paid-­‐work.    What  would  be  

the  outcome  for  society  if  vocational  psychologists  proactively  asserted  

such  an  expanded  definition  of  work  such  that  non-­‐paid  work  is  

acceptable  for  all  the  people  who  cannot  fit  into  the  “right  size”  

workforce?    For  example,  as  the  population  ages,  there  is  a  growing  

need  for  people  who  can  help  care  for  older  adults,  including  people  

who  will  just  spend  time  with  them  to  abate  loneliness.    Vocational  

psychologists  might  team  with  economists  and  sociologists  to  help  

shape  policies  that  would  make  it  more  possible  for  those  who  do  not  

28  

 

receive  traditional  wages  to  still  maintain  a  reasonable  life  style.    Then,  

what  those  individuals  are  doing  without  traditionally  defined  wages  

would  have  purpose  and  there  might  be  a  correlation  between  doing  

those  purposeful  things  and  life  satisfaction  just  as  there  is  a  correlation  

between  work  and  life  satisfaction.    Perhaps  the  question  for  vocational  

psychologists  will  be  how  to  help  people  live  a  purposeful  life  

regardless  of  the  size  of  the  workforce.    And  isn’t  that  more  

acceptable  than  having  so  many  out  of  work,  scared,  and  

vulnerable?  

THE  CHALLENGe  

  In  my  role  as  Vice  President  for  Student  Affairs  at  the  University  of  

Memphis,  I  have  challenged  our  staff  to  do  two  very  important  things.    

One  is  to  develop  great  leaders  and  the  other  is  to  help  students  learn  

to  live  well  together  in  a  diverse  society.    Further,e  do  not  want  

them  to  be  one  of  those  statistics  we’ve  been  talking  about.        We  want  

29  

 

students  to  be  prepared  for  the  work  of  the  future.Jennifer  James  

writes  about  Thinking  in  the  Future  Tense.    She  and  others  like  her  

maintain  that  we  must  train  people  for  jobs  that  do  not  yet  exist.    How  

do  we  do  that?    

◊  These  writers  maintain  that  we  must  help  people  to:  

1. “Know  Thy  self”  

2. Unite  work  and  spirituality  

3. Display  critical  thinking  

4. Develop  cultural  literacy  

5. Be  flexible  in  the  face  of  change  

6. Build  and  Sustain  relationships  

At  my  University  we  have  worked  to  change  the  culture  in  Student  

Affairs  (or  what  some  call  Student  Services,  all  of  those  services  that  are  

centered  on  students  outside  the  classroom  …….  Residence  Halls,  

30  

 

Health  Services,  Career  Services,  Student  social  and  recreational  groups  

and  so)  .    We  have  worked  to  create  a  learning  culture  rather  than  a  

programming  culture.    We  are  preparing  our  students  for  the  changing  

work  world  of  the  future.    We  changed  our  mission  statement,  the  list  

of  core  values  and  our  vision  for  our  students.  

Mission  

◊The  Mission  of  Student  Affairs  is  to  foster  student  learning  and  

promote  student  success  through  engagement  and  involvement  in  

community,  academics,  diversity  and  leadership.  

◊Core Values: LEADERS

Learning: Establishing and articulating high expectations for

student learning

Excellence: Modeling excellence in all that we do

Assessment: Making decisions on the basis of data.

31  

 

Diversity: Living well together in a diverse world

Ethical Leadership: Developing leaders who demonstrate

responsibility and integrity

Relationships: Building connections within and beyond our

community

Spirit: Promoting enthusiasm, passion and a sense of belonging

that inspires Tiger pride

◊Student Affairs Vision for Students

Understanding and

Managing Self

Engaging Others in a

Diverse World

Succeeding as a

Professional

Develop and apply

knowledge of self,

including

personality, values,

interests and

Establish a connection

to the University of

Memphis

Apply academic and

co-curricular

content to real-

world contexts

through experiential

32  

 

aptitudes learning

Develop integrity

and make ethical

decisions

Develop an inclusive

and interactive

community focusing

on understanding and

respect of individual

and group differences

Identify, develop

and articulate

competencies

necessary to

succeed in one’s

chosen field

Demonstrate

autonomy and

personal

responsibility

Become engaged

citizens locally and

globally

Understand the

importance of life-

long learning

Enhance physical,

psychological,

interpersonal and

spiritual well-being

Develop effective

social change skills

Demonstrate

effective leadership

skills

Possess appropriate Demonstrate civility Understand the

33  

 

self-efficacy concept of

professional

identity and

develop appropriate

professional

behaviors

 

You  can  begin  to  see  that  these  things  fit  in  with  the  kind  of  training  

necessary  for  thinking  in  the  future  tense.    We  want  in  a  very  obvious  

way  for  students  to  know  themselves,  be  able  to  build  relationships,  

live  well  in  a  diverse  global  society,  think  critically  and  embrace  change.    

We  have  developed  some  specific  programs  to  help  students  live  this  

vision.    One  is  called  Emerging  Leaders.    We  admit  a  cohort  of  students  

into  the  freshman  class  and  they  remain  together  for  4  years.    They  

begin  early  on  learning  a  social  change  model  of  leadership.    We  

increase  the  level  and  complexity  of  their  learning  as  they  finish  

34  

 

successive  levels  of  education.    Their  experience  is  finalized  with  some  

kind  of  social  intervention  in  the  community.    They  spend  a  year  

working  with  partners  in  the  community  and  coming  to  agreement  

about  what  they  can  do  during  their  senior  year  that  will  make  a  

difference  in  that  community.    These  students  get  the  opportunity  to  

be  involved  with  the  kinds  of  people  I  described  as  I  challenged  us  to  

think  about  how  we  will  change  what  we  do  as  vocational  psychologists  

and  career  counselors.    The  effect  of  the  training  that  we  provide  for  

our  students  we  hope  is  that  they  will  know  how  to  deal  with  jobs  that  

have  not  yet  been  created,  regroup  in  the  face  of  disasters,  and  engage  

in  cultures  as  the  demographics  shift.    You  can  learn  more  about  the  

Division  of  Student  Affairs  at  the  web  address  shown  on  the  screen  

(www.memphis.edu/studentaffairs  )  

We  also  expect  our  students  to  help  those  in  need  of  help;  the  

unemployed,  the  disaster  survivors,  the  wounded  warriors,  the  urban  

poor,  and  the  vulnerable.    We  expect  them  to  work  and  provide  work  

35  

 

so  that  there  is  enough  to  go  around  and  the  workforce  is  the  right  

size.    Now,    that  I  find  acceptable.      

◊My  challenge  to  you  is  to  look  around  and  determine  what  you  

find  unacceptable.    I  hope  it  will  be  some  of  the  things  I  have  

mentioned  in  this  talk.    Then  I  hope  you  will  push  yourselves  very  hard  

during  this  conference  to  come  up  with  something  that  makes  a  

difference;  something  that  moves  the  unacceptable  to  the  acceptable.    

Something  that  demonstrates  that  there  is  enough;  something  that  will  

help  us  all  live  and  work  well  together  in  a  diverse  society.  

◊As  I  close  this  talk,  you  can  see  that  I  have  more  questions  than  

answers.    But  I  do  want  you  to  know  that  I  do  have  joy,  excitement  and  

faith  in  my  life.    If  you  remember  nothing  else  about  what  I  said  

remember  this:    In  2002  I  was  on  another  long  walk  in  the  park  when  

my  work  and  my  spirit  came  together.    The  spirit  spoke  to  me  and  said:    

◊Turn  your  depression  to  joy  

36  

 

◊Turnyour  anxiety  to  excitement    

◊And  turn  your  fear  to  faith.      

◊Do  these  things  and  you  will  discover  that  there  is  enough.