Barrie Irving, Department of Management, University of Otago

Barrie Irving

Research

How is social justice understood within career education in New Zealand secondary schools: an examination through the lens of Iris Marion Young.

Supervisors

Karen Nairn (College of Education), Dr. Bronwyn Boon

Research Outline

Increasingly the concept of ‘career’ is changing to reflect new times. This is highlighted in the 2009 Ministry of Education document: ‘Career Education and Guidance Guidelines for New Zealand Secondary Schools’. Here it clearly states that: ‘Everyone has a career’. Career is now seen to be all-encompassing, no longer restricted to labour market participation or progression in employment. Consequently it might be more aptly understood as a life/career.

Career education in secondary schools therefore occupies a privileged place as it seeks to prepare young people to manage their careers in a ‘real world’ of complexity and uncertainty in which concerns with (in)justice have become muted. Thus career education can play an important role by helping students gain critical insights in to, and an understanding of, the multiple ways in which social, political, and economic discourses position and shape concepts of ‘self’, career, opportunity, and justice, both at an individual and collective level.

My PhD study is generally located within critical social theory framework which is focused on critiquing common-sense explanations of the social world, uncovering privileged interests, and engaging in analysis that promotes emancipatory goals. More specifically I draw on the work of the political philosopher Iris Marion Young who is concerned with the multiple ways in which institutional processes and practices contribute to the domination and oppression of social groups. Therefore in my PhD I am interested in gaining an understanding of whether and/or how social justice concerns are positioned and understood within both the official policy guidelines for career education and guidance in New Zealand schools, produced by the Ministry of Education, and by the career advisors themselves who participated in my study.

Utilising a qualitative approach my study is comprised of two key aspects. Firstly this has involved an analysis of the ‘official’ policy guidelines for career education and guidance in New Zealand schools produced by the Ministry of Education in 2009. Secondly I have undertaken semi-structured interviews with 12 careers staff in 11 secondary schools reflecting a range of deciles (the socio-economic catchment) and student cohorts. Nine of the schools are located in a major multicultural cosmopolitan city, whilst the remaining two schools are in a provincial city where the population is primarily of European descent. With regards to the analysis of the data Iam using critical discourse analysis as this approach is concerned with the historical, political and socially informed meanings which are embedded within talk and text, and enables the working of power to be interrogated.

Publications

Irving, B. A. (in press) Choice, chance or compulsion: how careers advisors are appointed in New Zealand secondary schools. Revista Espanola De Orientacion Y Psicopedagogia - Spanish Journal of Career Guidance and Counselling.

Irving, B. A. (2011). Career education as a site of oppression and domination: an engaging myth or a critical reality? Australian Journal of Career Development, 20(3).

Irving, B. A. (2010) Making a difference? Developing career education as a socially just practice. Australian Journal of Career Development, 19(3), 15-23.

Irving, B. A. (2010) Connecting career education with social justice: relating theory to practice in New Zealand secondary schools. Career Research and Development, 24, 19-22.

Irving, B. A. (2010). Shifting careers: (re)constructing career education as a socially just practice. International Journal for Educational and Vocational Guidance, 10, 49-63. Doi: 10.1007/s10775-009-9172-1

Irving, B. A. (2009). Locating social justice in career education: what can a small-scale study from New Zealand tell us? Australian Journal of Career Development, 18(2), 13-23.

Books

M. Parker-Jenkins, D. Hartas & B. A. Irving (2005), In Good Faith: Schools, Religion and Public Funding. Aldershot: Ashgate.

Edited Books/Special Editions

L. Barham. & B. A. Irving (Eds.) (2011 – in preparation). Constructing the future VI: Diversity, inclusion and social justice. Biennial Journal of the Institute of Career Guidance, Stourbridge, UK: Institute of Career Guidance.

B. A. Irving & B. Malik (Eds.). (2005). Critical reflections on career education and guidance: promoting social justice in a global economy. London: RoutledgeFalmer.

Chapters in books/special editions

Barham, L. & Irving, B. A. ( publication in October 2011). Introduction: Rising to the challenge of diversity, inclusion and social justice. In Constructing the Future VI: Diversity, Inclusion and Social Justice. Biennial Journal of the Institute of Career Guidance, UK. Stourbridge: Institute of Career Guidance

Irving, B. A., Sanderson, L. J. & Sanderson, D. (publication in October 2011). Challenging perceptions of (dis)ability in New Zealand: enhancing opportunities for disabled students with high-end needs through school-supported work experience. In Constructing the Future VI: Diversity, Inclusion and Social Justice. Biennial Journal of the Institute of Career Guidance, Stourbridge, UK: Institute of Career Guidance.

Irving, B. A. & Malik, B. (2005). Introduction. Critical reflections on career education and guidance: promoting social justice in a global economy (pp.1-9). London: RoutledgeFalmer.

Irving, B. A. (2005). Social justice: a context for career education and guidance. In B. A. Irving and B. Malik (Eds.), Critical reflections on career education and guidance: promoting social justice (pp.10-24). London: RoutledgeFalmer.

Barker, V. & Irving, B. A. (2005). Career education for Muslim girls: meeting culture at the crossroads. In B. A. Irving and B. Malik (Eds.), Critical reflections on career education and guidance: promoting social justice (pp.72-85). London: RoutledgeFalmer.

Irving, B. A. & Barker, V. (2005). Living in the ‘real world’: developing and delivering qualitative research. In Institute of Career Guidance (Ed.) Constructing the Future 3: Developing Reflective Practice (pp.69-83). Stourbridge: Institute of Career Guidance.

Edited Books/Special Editions

B. A. Irving & B. Malik (Eds.). (2005). Critical reflections on career education and guidance: promoting social justice in a global economy. London: RoutledgeFalmer.

Chapters in books/special editions

Peer-reviewed Conference Presentations
B. A. Irving (2011). Preparing secondary students for transition into the ‘real world’: what role does career education play in the promotion of social justice? Paper in symposium. Transitioning through life: Choices and challenges in changing times. Transitions. 17th Biennial Conference of the Australasian Human Development Association, Dunedin, New Zealand, July.

B. A. Irving (2011). Career education as a site of oppression and domination: an engaging myth or a critical reality? What’s it all about? Career development: Retrospective and prospective. International Conference of the IAEVG, Cairns, Australia, April.

B. A. Irving (2010). Making a difference? Developing career education as a socially just practice. Making a difference. Conference of the Career Development Association of Australia. Adelaide, Australia, April.

B. A. Irving (2009). Developing socially just career programmes: From theory to practice. Transforming Careers: Unleashing Potential. International Conference of the IAEVG, Wellington, New Zealand, November.

B.A Irving (2009). Putting social justice into practice: a New Zealand insight into career education. Coherence, Co-operation and Quality in Guidance and Counselling. International Conference of the IAEVG. Jyvaskyla, Finland. June.

B. A. Irving (2009). Careering down the wrong path? (Re)positioning career education as a socially just practice. When theory and practice are combined, the fruit of this convergence is enlightenment. Career Practitioners Association of New Zealand & Otago Polytechnic 2nd Career Research Symposium,Dunedin, New Zealand. March.

Invited Presentations/Seminars/Workshops
Irving, B. A. (2011, July). Invited Presentation. Where does social justice ‘fit’ within career education? An examination through the lens of Iris Marion Young. Pacific Postgraduate Reference Group seminar, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.

Irving, B. A. (2010, March). Invited Presentation. Challenging career education: A critical connection with social justice. Otago Branch of the Career Development Association of New Zealand. Dunedin, New Zealand.

Other Publications

Irving, B. A. (2011). Oppression and domination in career education: and engaging myth or a critical reality? Presentation published on the website of the Career Development Association of Australia (www.cdaa.org.au)

Schoolgirl career choices warning. (2010, December 28), Otago Daily Times, p.5.

Irving, B. A. (2010) Making a difference? Developing career education as a socially just practice. Presentation published on the website of the Career Development Association of Australia (www.cdaa.org.au)

Irving, B. A. (2010) Locating social justice within career education: under-researched, understated and undervalued? Newsletter of the International Association for Educational and Vocational Guidance.