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The Lived Experience of Work and Career: Women Whose Parents Lack Postsecondary Education
Author(s) -
Gibbons Melinda M.,
Woodside Marianne,
Han Christine,
Sweeney Jeffrey R.,
Davison John
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
the career development quarterly
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.846
H-Index - 53
eISSN - 2161-0045
pISSN - 0889-4019
DOI - 10.1002/j.2161-0045.2011.tb00072.x
Subject(s) - psychology , career development , qualitative research , daughter , postsecondary education , lived experience , chose , phenomenology (philosophy) , work (physics) , developmental psychology , pedagogy , higher education , social psychology , sociology , political science , social science , philosophy , epistemology , law , mechanical engineering , psychoanalysis , engineering
There is a dearth of research exploring the career and work development of adults and the influence of family of origin on that development. In this qualitative study, the authors used a phenomenological approach to examine the career and work experiences of women whose parents have no education beyond high school and the influences of family on these experiences. Findings revealed 5 invariant themes, or constituents, that shaped the experiences of these women: being a daughter/woman, support and encouragement, what matters, why I chose, and limits and options. Perseverance was found to be a related underlying component, or essence. Authors present implications for counselors working with adult women whose parents lack postsecondary education.