Persistent Occupational Problems
Right now I'm taking a short break from reading my textbook for my Vocational Counseling summer class. So far it has been rather interesting and helpful. I had no idea that there were actual theories that framed the work of career counselors. I now have more respect for those who do this work day in and day out especially in a college/university context.
In this particular chapter I'm reading about "Adult Career Crisis and Transitions" and the paragraph that I finished reading was about "Persistent Occupational Problems." I couldn't help but think of my friend who recently resigned from his tenured faculty position at a small liberal arts college. For over ten years he was the only Black male professor at a faith-based PWI (Primarily White Institution) and as time went on, the campus culture became increasingly oppressive and uninviting. In the end this campus culture not only drove him to an occupational crisis and non normative transition, his health was affected in such a way that led him to seek other choices.
I also have another friend who is working at a faith-based PWI and her experience as an African American woman professor has been marginalizing and painful. I know of many other faculty and administrators of color who experience mental and physical issues because of these environments that continue to disregard the realities of race, racial profiling and White privilege, power and standards.
As I continue in this class and reading this textbook, my hope is that we'll discuss in greater depth of how social and racial inequities affect workers and professionals. I'm reminded of a clip from Jane Elliot's Blue-Eyed and how African-American professionals spoke of their daily routine on how they must navigate White dominant spaces for their own survival. Yet, in the end, they still paid a price when it came to their self-worth and well-being.
In this particular chapter I'm reading about "Adult Career Crisis and Transitions" and the paragraph that I finished reading was about "Persistent Occupational Problems." I couldn't help but think of my friend who recently resigned from his tenured faculty position at a small liberal arts college. For over ten years he was the only Black male professor at a faith-based PWI (Primarily White Institution) and as time went on, the campus culture became increasingly oppressive and uninviting. In the end this campus culture not only drove him to an occupational crisis and non normative transition, his health was affected in such a way that led him to seek other choices.
I also have another friend who is working at a faith-based PWI and her experience as an African American woman professor has been marginalizing and painful. I know of many other faculty and administrators of color who experience mental and physical issues because of these environments that continue to disregard the realities of race, racial profiling and White privilege, power and standards.
As I continue in this class and reading this textbook, my hope is that we'll discuss in greater depth of how social and racial inequities affect workers and professionals. I'm reminded of a clip from Jane Elliot's Blue-Eyed and how African-American professionals spoke of their daily routine on how they must navigate White dominant spaces for their own survival. Yet, in the end, they still paid a price when it came to their self-worth and well-being.
Comments
Post a Comment