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A Career Awareness Guide for Parents of Teens
by Marilyn Noble and Jane McGinn
"When we speak to our children about our
own lives,
we tend to reshape our pasts to give them an illusory look of purpose.
But our children are unlikely to be able to define their goals
and then live happily ever after.
Instead, they will need to reinvent themselves
again and again in response to a changing environment.."
(Mary Catherine Bateson, Composing a Life)
This material was produced by
Nortel/NSERC Women in Engineering Chair,
University of New Brunswick,
with partial financial assistance from
the Canada/New Brunswick Cooperation
Agreement on Entrepreneurship
and Human Resource Development.
Please send your comments to co-authors
Jane McGinn and Marilyn Noble
c/o Nortel/NSERC Women in Engineering Chair
Head Hall, University of New Brunswick
P.O. Box 4400
Fredericton, N.B. E3B 5A3
Telephone: (506) 453-4515
Fax: (506) 453-4516
E-mail: unbwie@unb.ca
Please let us know what you think.
We'd like to hear from you. What parts of this guide were most useful
for you? Which ones weren't? In what ways was this publication helpful
or not helpful? How could it be improved? How have you used this guide
(by yourself? with your children? with a friend? with other parents? in
an informal group? in a course you've been taking? in an organization to
which you belong? in your workplace?)
The purpose behind this booklet
Ultimately, raising children is about guiding them toward responsible
adulthood. In a world where whole fields of employment are disappearing
and new ones are springing up faster than ever before, it's a tall order
to help young people to develop a sense of identity and purpose and to
achieve eventual financial self-sufficiency. Books abound on parenting
and on career change and career development---but few, if any, integrate
the two themes. This booklet has been written to help you gain an overview
of this climate of change, and to see how, as a parent, you can help to
guide your teen's preparations for meaningful and gainful employment in
a global economy.
A further word of explanation may be in order. Conscious effort
is needed, not only to close the gender gap with respect to salaries and
career advancement opportunities, but also in order to create safe and
supportive work environments where diversity is valued. Because we have
not yet as a society achieved a level playing field, a separate section
of this publication addresses issues specific to Guiding Your Daughter.
Finding your way around this guide
There are all sorts of reasons that you may be paging through this guide,
and all sorts of ways that you might find it useful. We've tried to set
it up so that you don't have to read it sequentially, cover to cover, but
can dip into the parts that are of greatest interest to you right now.
There are also sections where you may want to "make this guide yours"
by jotting down any thoughts it triggers for you, or by making a few reminder
notes about how you want to put it into action. Underline. Highlight. Circle.
Scribble notes in the margins. Discuss it with someone else. Do whatever
works for you!
One more thing: The career planning process isn't a one-shot
thing. It's ongoing throughout life. So we hope that this guide can be
useful to you on several different levels and at various intervals---to
help your teen(s), to lend support to friends and colleagues, and to look
at options for yourself.
Part One: The times, they are
a-changing
This first section explores change---- as it affects the place of work
in our lives, the world of work, and the role of learning throughout our
lives. If that's more than you want to read right now, then you may want
to skip to the "key points" guide.
Part Two: A parents' role
You'll find four main sections here. The first one looks at what it
takes to become an adult. The second one talks about career development
as part of growing up. The third suggests what you can do to help your
teen through this life/career planning maze. And the fourth part examines
how to help your teen map out an educational route.
Part Three: Guiding your daughter
This part is especially important if your teen is a young woman. Like
it or not, she'll be up against special barriers because of her gender.
Here's what you can do to help her cope successfully, and make her own
choices.
Part Four: Suggested resources
Here you'll find a listing---prepared to correspond to the first
three sections of the guide---of books, videos, programs, and information
sources that you and your teen may find helpful.
Part One
"The times, they are a-changing..."
It's a new world out there.
Every generation of parents faces the challenge of preparing
adolescents for an evolving world. But the rate of change has escalated
dramatically. For most of us, simply keeping pace with shifting conditions
in our own lives is a formidable endeavour. Recognizing the unpredictable
economy that our young people are entering, it becomes an especially daunting
responsibility to guide them in planning for the future.
" 'What do you want to be?' ultimately refers to the
entire lifestyle of the individual, including not only a means of earning
a living, but also the extent of that living; the friends chosen; leisure-time
activities; marital and family lifestyle; work, political, and religious
values---in short, an individual's entire outlook on life and its meaning."
(Barbara Schneider Fuhrmann, Adolescence, Adolescents)
Personal life
Demographers tell us that youth currently moving through the school
system will probably be the first postwar generation to face a lower standard
of living than their parents'. Somehow, we have to prepare them to live
comfortably with lower economic expectations. Many will delay marriage
and parenthood. They may remain under the parental roof for a longer period
than preceding generations have tended to do---and may return there when
times are difficult. Many of them will face divorce and remarriage, and
some will be parents without partners. The impact of technology will be
felt in every aspect of their daily lives, and in order to function effectively,
they will need to be technologically literate.
The world of work
Multiple careers over the course of a lifetime are already the norm
rather than the exception. Short-term, contractual work and self-employment
are more common. Work is growing increasingly complex and specialized.
The workforce is more culturally diverse. Strong interpersonal, communication,
and problem solving skills have grown in importance; so have creativity,
initiative, and entrepreneurship. We are searching for ways to make the
workplace more flexible, through job sharing, flexible hours, and the option
of working from home, linked by telecommunications to an electronic workplace.
Learning: a lifelong adventure
Educational emphasis is already shifting gradually from straight acquisition
of facts to learning that makes effective practical use of knowledge, insights,
skills, creativity and critical thinking. Competition is expected to increase
for limited spaces in high priority fields of study. If current trends
are indicative, the cost of tuition will continue to climb, increasing
the debt load that students incur. Academic credentials continue to be
used as determinants of employability, and increasing levels of educational
preparation will be expected by employers. Periodic upgrading of skills
is already needed in order to keep pace with change, and most forms of
postsecondary education are seeing growing proportions of adult learners.
Alternating or concurrent periods of work and study are becoming a commonplace
part of adult life. Access to learning opportunities throughout adulthood
is being enhanced through distance education and telecommunications technology,
through educational leaves, and through workplace-based education and training.
Educational institutions are becoming more willing to accommodate and accredit
self-directed and experience-based learning.
Key points
- The world of work is in a state of constant change.
- Learning, growth and development continue throughout a person's lifespan.
- Flexibility, initiative, and resourcefulness are keys to coping effectively
in the current job market.
- It's important to follow your heart; work should be a source of personal
meaning and satisfaction as well as a means of earning a living.
- Focus on, and enjoy, the journey; the destinations to which it leads
you will be varied and often unforeseeable.
Part Two: A Parent's
Role
A. Becoming an adult: what does it really take?
"The conviction of being loved and lovable,
valued and valuable as we are, regardless of what we do, is the beginning
of the most fundamental kind of self-esteem...Later in childhood, we begin
to develop the second and more externalized kind of self-esteem...---the
sort that comes from knowing we are good 'at' something, compare well with
others, meet other people's expectations, and can complete ever more challenging
and interesting tasks for the sheer joy of it."
(Gloria Steinem in Revolution from Within: A Book of Self-Esteem)
"How intelligent are you? Far more intelligent than
you realized. You know much more than you think because you think in more
ways than you know."
(Thomas Armstrong in 7 Kinds of Smart: Identifying and Developing
Your Many Intelligences)
"I would argue that the difference [between success and failure
in life] often lies in the abilities called...emotional intelligence, which
include self-control, zeal and persistence, and the ability to motivate
oneself. And these skills can be taught to children,...giving them a better
chance to use whatever intellectual potential the genetic lottery may have
given them."
(Daniel Goleman in Emotional Intelligence).
Self-esteem and self-knowledge
Healthy self-esteem is a fundamental starting point. As parents, we
do our best to nurture and safeguard our children's sense of personal worth,
competence, and faith in our unconditional love. Self-esteem is enhanced
by self-knowledge ----gaining insight about individual strengths, aptitudes,
skill levels, personality type, learning style, gender perspectives, and
interpersonal skills. Self-understanding enables a teen to set realistic,
achievable goals, and to understand the effort that will be needed to meet
them. Emotional stability, the ability to compromise, critical thinking
skills, and the ability to delay gratification also contribute to the capacity
to cope effectively with the transition to adulthood.
Awareness of workplace realities and options
It's important for teens to be exposed to a wide range of career options,
and to be encouraged to find out as much as possible about the ones that
spark the greatest interest. You can facilitate this line of inquiry by
sharing what you like and dislike about your own work, and by inviting
your teen to talk with other adults about what they do for a living and
how they feel about it. Adolescents also need to develop an awareness of
what it costs to maintain a comfortable standard of living, and to consider
educational requirements, working conditions, scheduling, location, and
wages as factors that affect the level of satisfaction with one's work.
Try to provide your teen with a chance to learn about self-employment,
contract work, job sharing, and working from home.
Productive work attitudes and habits
What we're really talking about here are values and skills that can
be developed early and put to good use in the world of work. They include
setting achievable goals, breaking tasks down into manageable steps, planning
ahead, learning to organize time and energy, developing a sense of responsibility,
and recognizing the importance of making and keeping commitments. Mastering
them can begin with simple things---following through on promises, being
a reliable friend and family member, helping with the planning for a family
vacation, seeing projects through to completion, setting spending priorities,
and taking responsibility for time use.
Managing resources
Our reserves of time, energy, and money all have their limits. Being
realistic about how far we can stretch them, and learning to set priorities
for their use are crucial skills. Part of the challenge for teens is to
gain experience in balancing competing demands on resources. Teens need
to understand the cost of food, housing, clothing, transportation, education,
travel, and leisure pursuits---and the time and energy costs of juggling
multiple roles (relationships, work, study, and community participation).
Again, it's helpful to begin with the examples closest at hand: the family
budget and the time and energy demands faced by parents and family friends.
They can be encouraged to reflect on the experiences of older siblings
and other young adults now living on their own.
Sound decision-making skills
Good decision-making skills are crucial in every aspect of life. Teens
are ready and eager for more autonomy, and this is one of the important
ways that we prepare them for greater independence. The decision making
process encompasses defining needs, generating options, weighing alternatives,
making a decision, living with its consequences, assessing the outcomes,
and evaluating the effectiveness of the process. If we're aware of these
basic steps, we can help our teens to master them, beginning with relatively
simple decisions (buying clothes, trying a new hairstyle, or choosing leisure
time activities) and moving to more complex ones (building relationships,
committing to a part-time job, exploring lifestyle options; selecting courses,
considering career options, choosing a program of study, and picking a
community college, trade school, apprenticeship program, private academy,
or university to attend). Again, it's important to share with our teens
some of the decision making processes that we undergo ourselves as we choose
a new car or a new job or decide to engage in continuing education. We're
often disinclined to do that because we don't want to seem unsure of ourselves---yet
if we withhold that side of life from them, we rob them of a valuable opportunity
to explore the decision-making process in safe setting.
People skills: getting along with others, managing conflict, and
solving problems
How far can any of us hope to get in life without good "people
skills"? This is a complex and demanding set of skills which we continue
to refine throughout our lives. It includes listening with an open mind,
exercising care to understand other people's points of view, learning to
think critically, expressing ourselves clearly, guarding against making
unfounded judgments, and learning to be open and honest with others in
ways that will encourage ongoing dialogue and learning. As parents, we
can encourage our teens to address the interpersonal conflicts they encounter
(with peers, group leaders, teachers, and yes, family members, too!), and
to learn constructive ways of communicating and problem-solving together.
Struggling with a problem tests our wisdom, but it is often in moments
of conflict that we do some of our most creative thinking. Sometimes we
may realize that our solutions are falling short because we have aimed
them at the wrong problem: finding a new perspective on the situation may
be what it takes to unblock our thinking. If we can share some of our own
problem-solving strategies and discovery moments with our teens, we can
enhance their learning about getting along with others, and about resolving
life's dilemmas.
Openness to ongoing change and development
Every experience we have in life has a learning dimension, if only we
can learn to see it. Learning happens everywhere---and goes on throughout
the lifespan. It can be motivating and empowering to help your adolescent
connect things they read, see in movies, and pick up from the media, with
learning they do through travel, community activities, relationships, volunteer
work, and school. Sharing some of your own ongoing learning with your teen(s)
is a great way to help them understand that learning is a lifelong adventure.
B. Career development as part of growing
up
Career development theory
For us to be satisfied in a given career, we need to find in it outlets
to express our abilities, interests, personality, and values. We seek in
our work a chance to develop and implement our concept of who we are and
what gives our life meaning. In practice, career choice often results from
a compromise between our self-concept and the economic and social reality
in which we live. So writes D.E. Super, one of the most influential voices
in career development theory. Because we continue to grow and develop,
our vocational preferences also continue to evolve over our lifetime.
The growth stage
Super suggests that up to roughly age 14, children are in the growth
period of career development. During this time, they gradually develop
an understanding of the kinds of people they are and gain some ideas about
the nature and meaning of work. Fantasy is the first phase of this,
during the elementary school years, and identification with significant
adults is a central part of this process. Next, interests begin
to play a bigger role in shaping activity choices. Eventually, abilities
become more important to the child as a decision making factor. It is important
during the growth period that we encourage children not to narrow their
options too quickly, but rather to explore a wide variety of choices and
possibilities. This is also a formative period during which to break down
tradition-bound stereotypes about gender roles and to widen the concept
of appropriate career choices. (Why shouldn't a boy enter nursing or family
studies, and why shouldn't a girl enroll in engineering or nuclear physics?)
The exploration stage
Things shift dramatically during the 15-25 year-old period, or the exploration
stage. During this part of life, career development moves on to:
- recognizing and accepting the need to make career decisions
- crystallizing a career self-concept (connecting interests and abilities
with career opportunities)
- identifying appropriate fields and levels of work
- undertaking the necessary preparation to gain entry into the career
of choice.
The exploration phase, Super tells us, has three substages. The ages
attached to these are approximate guidelines only, and may vary widely
depending on the economic and social climate of the times and on individual
characteristics and circumstances. They look like this:
The tentative stage (ages 15 to 17) involves
getting to know one's needs, interests, capacities, values, and opportunities.
Role play, discussion, course work, and early work and volunteer experiences
help to clarify these elements. On this basis, the teen begins to identify
appropriate fields and levels of work. Job shadowing and career interviewing
may help the teen to expand the information base s/he has to work with.
The transition stage (ages 18 to 21) sees the teen becoming
more specific about his/her options and more attentive to the reality factors.
Formal education and job experience sharpen the picture of the fit between
occupational goals and self-concept. Volunteer work, practicum placements,
and co-op work/study programs (alternating study terms and work placement
terms) may be of particular value at this point.
The trial stage (ages 22 to 25) involves trying out occupational
choices as potential life's work. In the current economic climate, it can
be difficult for young people to secure work that will allow a genuine
exploration or testing of self-concept. Skill-building, experience, and
self-assessment can also be fostered through student leadership, continuing
education, self-directed learning, volunteer work, mentoring, entrepreneurship,
and community and political action.
Career development in rapidly changing times
Traditionally, the trial phase was understood to lay the groundwork
for establishment and advancement in a given career area. In today's workplace,
it is more likely that trial, establishment and advancement
will be ongoing and recurrent cycles as the young adult moves from project
to project and/or through a succession of related or unrelated careers.
We need to let go of the picture of career progression as a vertical ladder,
and replace it with one of a road map of potential lateral moves. Because
employment settings may change frequently, it is doubly important to develop
one's own internalized sense of meaning and progress with respect to career
development. This means learning to value what is gained from experience,
and learning to think of it in terms of acquisition of transferable
skills, which can be reconfigured in various ways to meet the needs
of a continuously evolving workplace. This approach also gives us the flexibility
to think in terms of jobs and organizations which are only now on the threshold
of development, rather than trying to slot our possibilities into an occupational
framework that is rapidly being replaced.
Having goals
The clearer a student's career goals become, the more fully s/he can
commit to formal study as a crucial part of the career preparation process.
Without this focus on desired outcomes, it can be difficult to remain committed
to school and postsecondary study. In our consumer society, the media exert
a lot of pressure on teens to look for immediate gratification. What they
hear about the job market can be discouraging, and leave them wondering
whether more education is really worth it. Without encouragement and a
sense of purpose, they may find it hard to take the long-term view. We
have to help them see the process as one of expanding their options and
building greater adaptability. We can also help them to see themselves
as taking charge of their lives and not waiting passively for circumstances
to improve. In a tight job market, it's easy to be led into picking a career
because it seems to be a growth area. But that only works if it's also
something we love to do. Ultimately, it's when we follow our strongest
interests that we're more likely to remain committed. And if we're really
committed, we'll find or create a way to make our skills marketable.
Flexibility
Remembering the forecast of multiple careers in a lifetime, it makes
sense, in preparing for the world of work, to take the broad view rather
than the narrow one. Thinking in terms of families of careers is
a sensible way to approach a climate of such rapid change. By looking at
related fields of work and varying levels within them, teens can give themselves
more room to explore and shift as circumstances require. Nor should they
be afraid to change the road they're following if they find that it's leading
them in a direction that doesn't feel right for them. False starts aren't
something to be ashamed of. Instead, we need to view them as experience
and insights gained.
Friends, peer pressure, and competing demands
Every teen feels some pull to keep key friendships intact as school
and career choices begin to carve more distinctive paths. For girls, the
need to be close to other people is often a strong one, and may sometimes
be in conflict with achievement needs. Girls may sometimes downplay their
academic abilities in order to fit in; they may be concerned that high
marks will set them apart, and make them less attractive to boys. There
is also potential for conflict between a long-term relationship and an
educational or career goal. Teens need support in coping with such conflicts---and
to understand that they will persist throughout adult life, as they struggle
to balance the demands of competing roles: leisure interests, employment,
relationships, family roles, and volunteer and community participation.
C. What you can do to help: the coaching role
"Stop stereotyping...Bestow some dignity...Send 'I
believe in you' signals...Point the way...Lead the way...Get out of the
way."
(Reginald Bibby and Donald Posterski in Teen Trends: A Nation
in Motion)
What you do as a parent can smooth the way.
Times aren't smooth, and you want to help your teen weather them successfully---avoiding
setbacks, discouragement, and self-doubt, securing meaningful and gainful
employment, and achieving a healthy, realistic self-concept. You may be
feeling uncertain about your own employment, and wondering how you can
possibly help your teen when you don't have all the answers yourself. No
one expects you to have it all solved. Instead, perhaps you can learn together
as you go along. It's an important journey for both of you, and one that's
less frightening when it's shared. You can also bring other people into
the process to share their perspectives----role models and career changers
whom your teen respects and admires.
Be supportive, but not directive.
Ask questions to encourage your teen's independent thinking.
Help your teens reach their own conclusions.
Remember that this decision should be theirs---not yours.
Take some of the pressure off by reminding them that this isn't a once-only
process, but a recurrent one.
Remember how important it is to have a dream.
Be positive. Support your teens' dreams.
Encourage your teens to follow their hearts.
Help your teens to set goals.
Encourage flexibility, resourcefulness, and a positive outlook.
Help your teens find realistic ways of making their dreams workable
with the current employment market.
Help your teen explore all the options.
Encourage them to be creative in generating possibilities.
Help your teens brainstorm ways of building on their interests.
Remember that some jobs of the future don't exist yet---and some currently
existing ones will disappear.
Encourage them to try on different roles to see what fits best.
Remember that career paths aren't straight lines.
Help your teens understand that the connection between study and
work isn't as simple or linear as we tend to think.
Share some of the uncertainties, discoveries and insights that you
experienced in starting work and/or in changing jobs; explore how their
experiences may resemble or differ from yours.
Suggest other people to talk to.
Remember that there isn't just one right answer.
Plan for a changing world.
Bear in mind that people, their personal circumstances, and the
world of work keep changing.
Approach change as exciting and challenging, not frightening.
Help your son/daughter to develop resilience.
Encourage a positive self-concept.
D. Helping your teen to choose an educational
route
Links between learning and earning
In today's workplace, most jobs require some form of apprenticeship,
training, or education beyond high school completion. Employers are placing
more and more weight on formal credentials when hiring---and usually with
good reason. In addition to specific work-related skills, postsecondary
education also helps to develop problem-solving and interpersonal skills
that are important to workplace productivity and flexibility. Some fields
of work also expect continuing education throughout one's employment as
a means of keeping skills and knowledge current.
Sometimes teens develop unrealistic ideas about the relationship
between getting an education and embarking upon a career. The adolescent
who is thinking about earning a living as an athlete or entertainer or
auto mechanic may consider postsecondary preparation irrelevant. So may
a son or daughter who is intent on running his or her own business or going
into the family business. But in any of these cases, it would be naive
to dismiss the need for additional learning. Education will help you to
do a job better. And in an economy where most of us will be career changers
throughout our working lives, it will make us better able to adapt and
move on to new challenges.
Enjoying work is important---and that's just as true of career
preparation. The field of study you choose and the type of training or
education that you select need to be right for you. Often family and peer
expectations---and feedback from teachers and counsellors---influence our
children's choices. We need to be sensitive to this, and to take care to
ensure that our teens are following their dreams and not ours or someone
else's.
This thing we call intelligence...
The public school system tends to develop and reward literacy and numeracy,
and higher levels of performance that spring from these two central skills.
But as the research of Howard Gardner tells us, intelligence can take many
different forms, many of which are overlooked or undervalued in formal
schooling. Gardner writes of "multiple intelligences", of which
seven are identified: musical (appreciating and making music), bodily-kinaesthetic
(athletic performance, gymnastic skill, dance and choreography), logical-mathematical
(analytical, logical, mathematical, scientific, and problem solving), linguistic
(listening, speaking, reading, and writing), spatial (navigating, understanding
maps, picturing things from different angles, and creating and appreciating
visual expression), intrapersonal (emotions, self-insight, and understanding
one's emotions) and interpersonal (being able to read others' behaviour
and to understand others' moods, motives, and intentions). So as parents,
we need to keep a sharp eye out for abilities and interests that may be
getting short shrift in the school system, and to find alternative ways
of cultivating them.
Daniel Goleman of Harvard writes about the crucial role of
personal and social competence----and invites us to focus greater attention
on what he refers to as "emotional intelligence". Self-insight,
determination and persistence, self-direction and self-motivation, skills
in interacting with others, and the capacity to cope with our emotions
are all part of this skill set---and are not necessarily developed by the
formal curriculum. Goleman argues persuasively that without these skills,
neither the individual nor the society will flourish or achieve full potential.
Educational routes
There's a whole range of possibilities for continuing the learning process,
and it's important for your teens not to close in too quickly on a route
they want to follow. It's one of life's first major decisions, and not
one to be treated lightly. By the same token, it isn't an irreversible
decision, and if your teen try a route that proves to be an uncomfortable
fit, you'll need to be able to reassure them that it's possible to make
a fresh start.
* Apprenticeship training and on-the- job training
Sometimes because of its informality, on-the-job training isn't thought
of as further education---yet it is. Many trades---welding, for example---are
learned this way. Tests, can be taken at various intervals to demonstrate
mastery of new techniques, or to earn formal qualifications for related
fields of work. Apprenticeship programs are often run by provincial departments
of advanced education. Information about these programs can be obtained
by contacting the provincial government.
* Colleges and trade schools
These institutions offer two- to three-year programs which blend hands-on-learning
and classroom study. If your teens find satisfaction in very practical
application of learning, then this route may be an ideal one for them.
* Universities
Universities can confer undergraduate certificates, diplomas, and bachelor's
degrees; professional degrees; and graduate degrees at the masters and
doctoral levels. Some university programs are profession-specific, and
others are more open-ended. Here the emphasis is on broadening the students'
horizons and developing their capacity for independent thinking and problem-solving,
as well are making them more employable.
Coping with the demands of further education
Motivation, organization, and learning to learn are three of the key
factors that help to ensure the success of students.
Motivation
The need to be motivated points to the importance of pursuing a field
of study in which there is genuine interest. If a student has a sincere
desire to achieve a particular educational goal, then many obstacles can
be overcome.
Organization
Being organized means being able to break tasks down into their component
parts and sequence them appropriately, knowing what resources will be needed
and how to obtain them, juggling multiple demands, and managing time, energy,
and stress effectively and realistically. Clearly, these skills, once mastered,
transfer very positively to the workplace!
Learning to learn
Many postsecondary educational institutions assume that developing mature
learning skills is the learner's responsibility; as a result, they tend
to focus much more heavily on content mastery than on the learning process
itself. Yet developing effective learning strategies is the key to successful
lifelong learning.
What are some of the competencies that we're referring to
when we speak of "learning to learn"?
- being clear about what you want to learn (and how you want to be able
to apply it)
- setting achievable learning goals
- identifying and accessing an appropriate range of learning resources
and experiences
- recognizing both teachers and peers as resources and guides for learning
- developing the capacities to reflect, analyse, and synthesize (critical
& creative thinking)
- cultivating initiative and self-direction
- developing skills for effective learning in collaborative or team settings
- recognizing and dealing with blocks or barriers to learning
- sustaining personal motivation
- recognizing transition points in the learning process
- integrating new and prior learning
- revising your ways of thinking, feeling, and behaving in accordance
with new learning
- monitoring and assessing your own progress
- documenting and communicating what you have learned
Getting off to the right start
Studies show that the first six weeks of a program are crucial to its
successful completion. Students who feels comfortable, happy, motivated,
organized, and reasonably accepted and supported during these first few
vital weeks have a much greater likelihood of achieving their goals. Encourage
your teens to select carefully where and what they will study, and do everything
that you can to help them adjust smoothly and participate fully and enthusiastically.
Part Three: Guiding
Your Daughter
"The edge of adolescence has been identified as a time of heightened
psychological risk for girls. Girls at this time have been observed to
lose their vitality, their resilience, their immunity to depression, their
sense of themselves and their character...For girls coming of age in this
culture at this time, adolescence marks a potential point of departure
from life experience... Girls risk losing touch with the specific:---with
their bodies, with their feelings, with their relationships, with their
experience."
(Carol Gilligan and Lyn Mikel Brown in Meeting at the
Crossroads: Women's Psychology and Girls' Development)
Seeing the picture more clearly
Girls and women often show compassion, empathy, and insight with respect
to other people, and indeed these are valuable strengths that they bring
to classroom, home, community, and workplace. But census data remind us
that women aren't defined in terms of their relationships. The average
woman who marries and has children will spend 12% or less of her life as
a full-time mother, will live 60% or more of her life without dependent
children, and will spend 13% or more of her life without a partner. Clearly,
then, it is important to raise our daughters to be self-sufficient, and
to encourage them to develop their own separate identities and goals.
Today's women are better educated than ever before. Women
represent over half of the student population in Canada's universities
and community colleges. One third of all Canadian small businesses are
owned by women, and women open up successful new businesses at three times
the rate that men do.
In our society, all adults experience the time crunch to some
degree: struggling to find enough hours in the day for all that we are
expected to do. Blending work, family, community involvement, lifelong
learning, and personal growth and development represents a delicate balancing
act. This is especially true for women, whose role in family life tend
to be both intense and central. The "second shift" is not a myth:
household chores add another 23 hours per week to the average working woman's
workload (compared with 14 hours per week for her male counterpart). When
a family member is in need of medical attention, it is usually a woman
who shoulders this responsibility. Primary care for the elderly, disabled
or ill falls to 60% of women (compared with 26% of men). Family demands
are more likely to influence the patterns of a woman's workplace participation,
and it is not uncommon for women to experience discontinuity and heightened
stress within their working lives as a result of role conflict. With women
making up 45% of the Canadian work force in 1991, this is not a negligible
concern. Although there can remain little doubt as to the need for change,
we still have a long way to go in order to establish adequate levels of
child care and elder care, to achieve more flexible working hours, and
to create workplaces more supportive of family, community, and lifelong
learning responsibilities.
Sadly, there are other very sobering trends of which we need
to be aware. Some form of sexual harassment will be experienced on campus
by about half of all female university students, and in the workplace by
about a third of all working women. Some incidence of violence will be
encountered by half of all Canadian women after they have reached the age
of sixteen. Poverty is more prevalent among women---with 82% of all single
parent families headed by women, and 70% of the elderly poor being female.
For each dollar earned by men, women earn only 72 cents.
Good-bye, Cinderella
"Women are disadvantaged personally due to socialized differences
in career aspirations, personality traits, skills and education, and nonwork
responsibilities. Women are disadvantaged interpersonally due to gender
stereotypes and interpersonal perceptions, and lack of mentors, networks,
and subordinate support. Organizationally, women are disadvantaged by recruitment
and selection practices, performance appraisal, training, and tracking.
Thus, gender differences in power that we see in the labour force reflect
gender differences in access to a variety of resources for power."
(Susan Basow in Gender:Stereotypes and Roles)
Overcoming obstacles is part of being human, and helps us
to grow. But we can't kid ourselves. In making career choices and trying
to achieve financial independence, girls still face a different struggle
than their brothers and male classmates do. Some of the roadblocks are
subtle ones, and some not so subtle. We need to understand the barriers
if we are going to be able to help our daughters find the strength within
themselves to create the lives they wish to have.
Gender roles and expectations
"One of the causes [of the drop-off in girls' school performance]
is a subtle message that brains and femininity are incompatible."
(Dr. Monique Frize, "Reflections on the Engineering
Profession")
We are constantly bombarded by media messages promoting the
ideal woman as tall, slim, young, beautiful, and well-liked. From time
to time, this two-dimensional ideal will have a job or career, but more
often than not she is shown as successful because of her great beauty and
her ability to mesmerize the men around her rather than because of her
abilities, insights, intelligence, and leadership.
In adolescence, attractiveness is a great preoccupation. Girls
are encouraged to feel the need to be liked and admired, and this tends
to outweigh their need to achieve. As a consequence, they often downplay
their academic strengths in the belief that intelligence may make them
less appealing.
"In early adolescence, studies show that girls' IQ
scores drop and their math and science scores plummet. They lose their
resiliency and optimism and become less curious and inclined to take risks.
They lose their assertive, energetic, and 'tomboyish' personalities, and
become more deferential, self-critical and depressed. They report great
unhappiness with their own bodies. . . Adolescence is a time when girls
experience social pressure to put aside their authentic selves and to display
only a small portion of their gifts. This pressure disorients and depresses
most girls."
(Mary Pipher, Reviving Ophelia: Saving the Selves of
Adolescent Girls.)
There's more to this than just media or peer influences. Significant
adults also shape the way adolescents see themselves. Research on "Sex-Related
Differences in Mathematics Participation and Achievement" cited in
a 1983 study by the Toronto Board of Education reveals a telling picture.
The ideal female student is characterized as appreciative, considerate,
mannerly, efficient, obliging, calm, cooperative, poised, thorough, conscientious,
dependable, mature, and sensitive. The ideal male student, on the other
hand, is thought of as active, assertive, adventurous, frank, curious,
independent, inventive, aggressive, energetic, and enterprising. Is it
any wonder that girls draw back into their shells and hold back from exploring
the world? In many ways, we unconsciously reward them for doing just that.
We need to value our daughters' strengths and encourage them
to do the same, without apology or deference. We need to help them see
themselves as worthwhile, unique, and interesting human beings, and to
help them embrace the possibilities of ongoing growth, development, and
ambition.
Laying math phobia to rest
"A 'math filter' seems to operate within the socialization process
to teach girls that they are not supposed to like or to do well in math,
but even among young women who have not been filtered out of math courses
by their parents and teachers, many do not aspire to careers in math or
science even when they are mathematically talented. . . The few who do
aspire to math and science careers...have higher overall levels of achievement
motivation and self-esteem."
(Barbara Schneider-Fuhrmann, Adolescence, Adolescents)
Communication and interpersonal skills, math, science, and
computer literacy are all building blocks for daily adult functioning.
Young people who lack these skills, or who think of themselves as weak
in these areas, may severely limit their career options. Girls are at greater
risk than boys of feeling uncomfortable with math, and in fact their performance
in math frequently declines at the onset of adolescence. The sources of
this are often a dwindling confidence in their ability and the weight of
others' perceptions of them.
According to interviews with adolescent girls undertaken by
Canadian writer Myrna Kotash and reported in her book, No Kidding: Inside
the World of Teenage Girls, math and science avoidance has many underlying
causes:
- girls have fewer role models
- boys don't like girls who beat them at "their' subjects
- girls don't see what value the sciences have for them
- sciences and math are seen as "cold" and "theoretical"
- girls prefer people-oriented subjects
- girls can't imagine themselves being able to do some- thing difficult
- math and science are unimportant in terms of how girls see themselves
(This is reinforced by the media and even by school textbooks.)
- math and science-oriented toys, games, and play tend to be designed
with boys rather than girls in mind. (Computer and Nintendo games bear
out this idea.)
Both parents and teachers need to guard against negative stereotypes
that suggest girls are weak in math, and instead to help foster their comfort
level and practical skills in numerical, spatial, logical, and problem-solving
tasks. It is also important not to convey the impression that problem-
solving methods are necessarily easy or straightforward. Too often in our
time-pressured society, we are so focused on achieving results that we
don't allow ourselves or our children room to learn by experimenting, making
errors, reflecting, correcting, and trying again.
"When boys have trouble with a math problem, they
are more likely to think the problem is hard but stay with it. When girls
have trouble, they think they are stupid and tend to give up. . . Girls
need to be encouraged to persevere in the face of difficulty, to calm down
and believe in themselves. They need permission to take their time and
to make many mistakes before solving the problem. They need to learn relaxation
skills to deal with the math anxiety so many experience."
(Mary Pipher, Reviving Ophelia: Saving the Selves of
Adolescent Girls)
A balanced perspective
At the same time, we need to encourage girls to value areas in which
their socialization may tend to provide them with advantages. Some of these
strengths may (or may not) include skills such as reading others' moods,
understanding the reasons for people's behaviour, attention to detail,
and an ability to organize. Ultimately, if we can help our children to
see a wide range of skills and abilities as valuable and worth cultivating,
then we can help them to reach their full potential.
Gender role stereotyping in career selection
"It should be noted that the reasons women are employed are
virtually identical to the reasons men are employed: economic necessity,
work as part of their identity, a desire for achievement, and the satisfaction
of meaningful, rewarded activity."
(Susan Basow in Gender: Stereotypes and Roles)
Incredibly, in spite of increasing female participation in
the workforce, pervasive social messages still suggest that women's primary
responsibility is in the home, that women are less committed to their careers
than men are, and that women belong in the "softer" and lower
paid fields of employment. Unless systematically counteracted, such attitudes
place unnecessary limitations on young women's career choices.
"Choosing traditionally feminine occupations apparently
creates considerable confusion for women because their choices are generally
not consistent with their personality types."
(Barbara Schneider Fuhrmann, Adolescence, Adolescents)
If we hear ourselves or other adults trying to direct our
daughters away from certain careers, we should examine the underlying values
and assumptions that are giving rise to this advice. Is it being done in
order to protect them from what is perceived as difficult, dirty, or dangerous
work? We have to ask ourselves whether, in the same circumstances, a boy
would be given similar advice. Whether our children are daughters or sons,
we should be willing to support whatever career choices they may wish to
make, including goals that we may perceive as unconventional or non-traditional.
In our efforts to protect our children, particularly if they are female,
we may inadvertently be steering them away from fields of work in which
they could find rewarding, satisfying, and gainful employment. If we want
our children to be happy, fully functioning adults, then we need to take
all possible precautions to ensure that their career choices are based
on their aptitudes, values, interests, and personalities, and that they
are not constrained by artificial social pressures.
Role models
"Our sisters, mothers and great great grandmothers have made
significant contributions, but sadly, the history books have often overlooked
their achievements."
(Beth Bohnert, Canadian Women: Risktakers and Changemakers)
All of us benefit from positive role models. The strengths
and achievements of key individuals give us courage to follow our dreams.
With the pressures they will encounter, and with their strong desire for
relationship, our daughters are particularly in need of such figures in
their lives. Ensuring that your daughter recognizes the many female role
models around her is an important starting point. Begin at home, and expand
outward, taking care to identify and celebrate positive examples. Encouraging
our daughters to learn more about such people---both within our range of
personal acquaintances and in the wider arenas of our own and other cultures---can
help to extend their horizons.
Helping your daughter to find her way
- Encourage her to plan to achieve economic independence.
- Reinforce the idea that femininity and intelligence can go together,
and that she doesn't need to sacrifice one for the other.
- Help her to approach relationships as equal--- not dependent---partners.
- Help her think about juggling multiple roles.
- Ensure that she has access to good role models.
- Encourage and support career exploration.
- Make it clear that mistakes aren't something to be ashamed of, and
that they are valuable opportunities to learn and grow.
- Help your daughter to think of herself as capable and competent.
- Encourage her to choose a partner as carefully as a career: much of
her future happiness resides in making such choices wisely.
Part Four: Suggested
Resources
Resources listed here include books, magazines, videos, programs, an
d information sources. They are grouped thematically following the same
overall structure as this guidebook, with a special section devoted to
resources for teens.
It's a new world out there
BOOKS:
Bibby, Reginald W. and Posterski, Donald C. (1992). Teen Trends:
A Nation in Motion. Toronto: Stoddart.
Bolles, Richard. (1981). The Three Boxes of Life and How
to Get Out of Them: An Introduction to Life/Work Planning. Berkeley,
CA: Ten Speed Press.
Cote, James E. and Allahar, Anton L.. (1994). Generation
on Hold: Coming of Age in the Late Twentieth Century. Toronto:
Stoddart Publishing.
Foot, David K. and Stoffman, Daniel. (1996). Boom, Bust
& Echo: How to Profit from the Coming Demographic Shift.
Toronto: Macfarlane Walter & Ross.
Franklin, Ursula. (1992) The Real World of Technology.
Massey Lecture Series. Toronto: House of Anovei.
Kegan, Robert. (1994). In Over Our Heads: The Mental Demands
of Modern Life. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Sheehy, Gail. (1995). New Passages: Mapping Your Life Across
Time. Toronto. Random House. (See in particular Part One: "Whatever
Happened to the Life Cycle? Mapping Lives Across Time" )
Personal life
BOOKS:
Bateson, Mary Catherine. (1989). Composing a Life. New York:
Plume.
Bepko, Claudia and Krestan, Jo-Ann. (1993). Singing at
the Top of Our Lungs: Women, Love and Creativity. New York:
Harper Collins.
Brown, Lyn Mikel and Gilligan, Carol. (1992). Meeting at
the Crossroads: Women's Psychology and Girls' Development. Cambridge,
MA: Harvard University Press.
Caplan, Paula and Caplan, Jeremy. (1994). Thinking Critically
About Research on Sex and Gender. New York: Harper Collins.
Cranton, Patricia. (1993). Understanding and Encouraging
Transformative Learning. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Debold, Elizabeth, Wilson, Marie, and Malave, Idelisse. (1994).
Mother Daughter Revolution: From Good Girls to Great Women. New
York: Bantam Books.
Elkind, David (1994). Ties That Stress: The New Family
Imbalance. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Gilligan, Carol. (1982). In a Different Voice: Psychological
Theory and Women's Development. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Houston, Victoria. (1990). Making It Work: Finding the
Time and Energy for Your Career, Marriage, Children, and Self.
Chicago: Contemporary Books.
Kroeger, Otto and Thuesen, Janet M. (1988). Type Talk:
The 16 Personality Types That Determine How We Live, Love, and Work.
New York: Delta
Merriam, Sharan B. and Clark, M. Carolyn. (1991). Lifelines:
Patterns of Work, Love and Learning in Adulthood. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass
Orenstein, Peggy. (1994). Young Women, Self-Esteem, and
the Confidence Gap. New York: Doubleday
Pipher, Mary. (1996). The Shelter of Each Other: Rebuilding
our Families. New York: Grosset/Putnam
Rechtschaffen, Stephan. (1996). Timeshifting: Creating
More Time for Your Life. New York: Doubleday.
Schoen, Elin (1995). Growing with Your Child: Reflections
on Parent Development. New York: Doubleday.
Steinem, Gloria . (1993). Revolution from Within: A Book
of Self-Esteem. Boston: Little Brown and Company.
Tannen, Deborah. (1986). That's Not What I Meant! How Conversational
Style Makes or Breaks Relationships. New York: Ballantine.
Tannen, Deborah. (1990). You Just Don't Understand: Women
and Men in Conversation. New York: Ballantine.
Tavris, Carol. (1992). The Mismeasure of Woman: Why Women
Are Not the Better Sex, the Inferior Sex, or the Opposite Sex. New
York: Simon and Schuster.
Viorst, Judith. (1986). Necessary Losses: The Loves, Illusions,
Dependencies and Impossible Expectations That All of Us Have to
Give Up in Order to Grow. New York: Fawcett Gold Medal.
Walsh, Elsa. (1995). Divided Lives: The Public and Private
Struggles of Three American Women. New York: Anchor Doubleday.
MAGAZINES:
Girls' Life. Avalon Hill Subscription Office, 4517 Harford Road, Suite
6796, Baltimore, MD, US 21214-9989
New Moon: The Magazine for Girls and Their Dreams.
P.O. Box 3587, Duluth, MN, US 55803-3587 (218) 728-5507
Reluctant Heroes
ASSESSMENT MATERIALS AND INTERPRETATION SERVICES
Personal Enhancement Through Type
Box 1204, 621 Discovery Street
Victoria, B.C. V8W 2T6
Phone: (604) 384-7860
Toll-free: 1-800-665-9905
Provide tools for personality type self-assessment (a more subtle and
growth-oriented version of the Myers-Briggs typology). Also maintain an
up-to-date listing of certified trainers.
The world of work
BOOKS:
Albert, Susan Wittig. (1992). Work of Her Own: A Woman's Guide to
Success Off the Career Track. New York: Jeremy P. Tarcher/ Putnam.
Beck, Nuala. (1992). Shifting Gears: Thriving in the New
Economy. New York: Harper Collins.
Beck, Nuala. (1995). Excelerate: Growing in the New Economy.
New York: Harper Collins.
Betz, Nancy and Fitzgerald, Louise. (1987). The Career
Psychology of Women.
Boldt, Laurence G. (1991). Zen and the Art of Making a
Living: A Practical Guide to Creative Career Design. New York:
Penguin Arkana.
Bolles, Richard. (1995). The 1995 What Colour Is Your Parachute?
A Practical Manual for Job-Hunters and Career-Changers. Berkeley, CA:
Ten Speed Press.
Bridges, William. (1994). JobShift: How to Prosper in a
Workplace Without Jobs. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.
Campbell, Colin. (1994) . Where the Jobs Are: Career Survival
for Canadians in the New Global Economy. Toronto: Macfarlane,
Walter & Ross.
Canadian Occupational Projection System (COPS). (1990). Job
Futures: Occupational Outlooks, Volumes 1 and 2. Toronto: Thompson
Educational Publishing.
Carr-Ruffino, Norma. (1993). The Promotable Woman: Advancing
Through Leadership Skills (2nd edition). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth
Publishing.
Carter, Jaine and Carter, James (1995). He Works, She Works:
Successful Strategies for Working Couples. New York: American
Management Association.
Cooper, Ann McGee. (1990). You Don't Have to Go Home from
Work Exhausted. Dallas: Bowen & Rogers.
Dent, Harry S. 1995). The Great Jobs Ahead: Your Comprehensive
Guide to Surviving and Prospering in the Coming Work Revolution.
New York: Hyperion.
Easto, Larry. (1995). How to Succeed in Your Home Business.
Toronto: Doubleday.
Fry, Ron. (1994). 101 Great Answers to the Toughest Interview
Questions (2nd edition). Hawthorne, NJ: Career Press.
Gaskell, Jane. (1992). Gender Matters From School to Work.
Toronto: OISE Press.
Gelb, Michael and Buzan, Tony. (1994). Lessons from the
Art of Juggling: How to Achieve Your Full Potential in Business, Learning,
and Life. New York: Harmony Books.
Gilson, Edith and Kane, Susan (1987). Unnecessary Choices:
The Hidden Life of the Executive Woman. New York: Paragon House.
Hadley, Joyce. (1995). Where the Jobs Are: The Hottest
Careers for the 90's. Hawthorne, NJ: Career Press.
Hegelsen, Sally. (1995). The Female Advantage: Women's
Ways of Leadership. New York: Currency Doubleday.
Josefowitz, Natasha. (1985). You're the Boss! A Guide to
Managing a Diverse Work Force with Understanding and Effectiveness.
New York: Time Warner.
Josefowitz, Natasha. (1980). Paths to Power: A Woman's
Guide from First Job to Top Executive. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.
O'Hara, Bruce. (1993). Working Harder Isn't Working.
Vancouver, BC: New Star Books.
O'Hara, Bruce. (1993). Put Work In Its Place. Vancouver,
BC: New Star Books.
Lowstuter, Clyde and Robertson, David. (1995). Network
Your Way to Your Next Job...Fast. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Maddox, Rebecca. (1995). Inc. Your Dreams. New York:
Viking Press.
Pearson, Carol and Seivert, Sharon. (1995). Magic at Work:
Camelot, Creative Leadership, and Everyday Miracles. New York:
Currency Doubleday.
Rifkin, Jeremy. (1995). The End of Work. Los Angeles,
CA: Tarcher/Putnam.
Sinetar, Marsha. (1987). Do What You Love and the Money
Will Come. New York: Dell.
Sinetar, Marsha. (1995). To Build the Life You Want, Create
the Work You Love. New York: St. Martin's Press.
Statistics Canada. (Annual). Job Survey, Volumes 1 and
2.
Tieger, Paul D. and Barron-Tieger, Barbara. (1992). Do
What You Are: Discover the Perfect Career for You Through the Secrets
of Personality Type. Boston: Little, Brown & Co.
Whelen, Shannon. (1993). Career Success: The Canadian Guide.
Toronto: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich Canada.
Yate, Martin. (1996). Knock 'Em Dead: The Ultimate Job-
Seeker's Handbook (1996 edition). Holbrook, MA: Adams Publishing.
Learning: a lifelong adventure
BOOKS:
Arms, Myron & Denman, David. (1975). Touching the World: Adolescents,
Adults and Action Learning. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons.
Armstrong, Thomas. (1993). 7 Kinds of Smart. New York:
Penguin Books.
Dodd, Anne Wescott (1992). A Parent's Guide to Innovative
Education: Working with Teachers, Schools and Your Children for
Real Learning. Chicago: The Noble Press.
Gardner, Howard. (1993). Multiple Intelligences: The Theory
in Practice. New York: Harper Collins.
Gatto, John Taylor. (1992). Dumbing Us Down: The Hidden
Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling. Philadelphia: New Society.
Goleman, Daniel. (1995). Emotional Intelligence. New
York: Bantam.
Healy, Jane M. (1990). Endangered Minds: Why Children Don't
Think and What We Can Do About It. New York: Simon & Schuster.
Lazear, David. (1994). Seven Pathways of Learning: Teaching
Students and Parents About Multiple Intelligences. Tucson: Zephyr Press.
Manning, M. Lee. (1993). Developmentally Appropriate Middle
Level Schools. Wheaton, MD: Association for Childhood Education
International.
Rich, Dorothy. (1992). Megaskills: In School and In Life---The
Best Gift You Can Give Your Child. Boston: Houghton-Mifflin.
Smith, Robert M. and Associates. (1990). Learning to Learn
Across the Life Span. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Taylor, Kathleen and Marienau, Catherine. (1995) Learning
Environments for Women's Adult Development: Bridges Toward Change.
New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education Series, Number 65, Spring
1995. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Tobias, Cynthia Ulrich. (1994). The Way They Learn.
Colorado Springs, CO: Focus on the Family. (Zip code: 80995)
Wlodkowski, Raymond, J. and Jaynes, Judith H. (1991). Eager
to Learn: Helping Children Become Motivated and Love Learning.
San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
BOOK REVIEWS:
"Notable Children's Trade Books in the Social Studies".
Appears annually in the April May issue of Social Education,
or order a single free copy by sending a stamped (3 oz.), self-addressed,
6"X 9" envelope to The Children's Book Council, 568 Broadway,
Suite 404, New York, N.Y. 10012.
"Outstanding Science Trade Books for Children".
Appears annually in the March issue of Science and Children,
or order a single free copy by sending a stamped (3 oz.), self-addressed,
6"X 9" envelope to The Children's Book Council, 568 Broadway,
Suite 404, New York, N.Y. 10012.
Thiessen, Diane and Matthias, Margaret. (1993). The Wonderful
World of Mathematics: A Critically Annotated List of Children's Books in
Mathematics. National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.
Career development as part of growing up
BOOKS:
Bireley, Marlene and Genshaft, Judy. (1991). The Gifted Adolescent:
Educational, Developmental, and Multicultural Issues. New York:
Teachers College Press.
Kostash, Myrna. (1989). No Kidding: Inside the World of
Teenage Girls. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart.
Schneider Fuhrmann, Barbara. (1986). Adolescence, Adolescents.
Boston: Little Brown & Company.
Super, D.E. (1980). "A Life-Span Life-Space Approach
to Career Development". In the Journal of Vocational Behaviour,
vol. 16, no.3, pages 282-298.
RESOURCES:
Instructional Resources, Provincial Department of Education, P.O. Box
6000, Fredericton, N.B. E3B 5H1. Phone: (506) 453-2319 or 453-2246 Fax:
(506) 453-7974
Career Counselling Centre, Room 19, Alumni Memorial Building,
University of New Brunswick, P.O. Box 4400 Fredericton, N.B. E3B 5A3 Phone:
(506) 453-4820
Transition to Employment Program, UNB Neville Homestead, University
of New Brunswick, P.O. Box 4400, Fredericton, N.B. E3B 5A3 Phone: (506)
453-4684
Coping with Further Education
BOOKS:
Borins, Sara. (1994). The Real Guide to Canadian Universities.
Toronto: Key Porter Books.
Fry, Ron. (1994). How to Study (3rd edition). Hawthorne,
NJ: Career Press.
Hoffmann-Neminoff, Greta. (1994). Transitions: Succeeding
in College and University. Toronto: Harcourt, Brace & Co.
Hubbuch, Susan M. (1992). Writing Research Papers Across
the Curriculum (3rd edition). Fort Worth: Harcourt Brace College
Publishers.
McIlroy, John and Jones, Bill. (1993) Going to University:
The Student Guide. Manchester University Press. (Published in Canada
by St. Martins Press.)
Park, Walter. (1993). How to Study in University (5th edition).
Toronto: Houghton Mifflin.
Paul, Kevin. (1993). The Complete Guide to Canadian Universities.
North Vancouver, BC: Self-Counsel Press.
Yarmoshuk, Lisa and Coy, Christopher. (1993). A World of
Difference: Every Student's Guide to Off-Beat Work, Travel and Study
Opportunities (3rd edition). Peterborough, Ontario: Broadview
Press.
Guiding Your Daughter
BOOKS:
Bohnert, Beth. (1993). Canadian Women: Risktakers and Changemakers.
The Women Inventors Project, Suite 302, 1 Greensboro Drive, Etobicoke,
Ontario, M9W 1C8.
Elium, Jeanne and Elium, Don. (1994). Raising a Daughter:
Parents and the Awakening of a Healthy Woman. Berkeley, CA: Celestial
Arts.
May, Elizabeth. (1991). Claiming the Future: The Inspiring
Lives of Twelve Canadian Women Scientists and Scholars. The
Royal Society of Canada, Ontario: Pembroke Publishers, Ltd.
Pipher, Mary. (1994). Reviving Ophelia: Saving the Selves
of Adolescent Girls. New York: Ballantine.
VIDEOS:
Career Encounters: Women in Engineering. WEPAN (Women in Engineering
Program Advocates Network) Midwestern Regional Centre, Purdue University,
1284 CIVL Building, Room G293, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907-1284. Tel.
(317) 494-5387.
Claire Kuzak's High School Survival Guide. (1992).
Association of Professional Engineers of Ontario. Tel: (416) 961-1100.
Engineering: Design Tomorrow's World, Part 1: Engineering
Career Video for Junior and Senior High School Students. (1993). Nortel/NSERC
Women in Engineering Chair, University of New Brunswick. Available from
University Bookstore, University of New Brunswick, P.O. Box 4400, Fredericton,
N.B. E3B 5A3
Raising Young Voices. Ministry of Women's Equality,
British Columbia. (Available from Instructional Resources, Department of
Education, 125 Hilton Road, Fredericton, N.B. and through the New Brunswick
public library system. Also available, through the Executive Council Office,
Government of New Brunswick, are the following accompanying materials for
Raising Young Voices: Transcript, Discussion Guide for Parents, and Discussion
Guide for Teachers and Principals.)
What Do Scientists Do? A Series for Intermediate
Students on Careers in Science. Produced by LENA Productions for the
Society for Canadian Women in Science and Technology and available from
Magic Lantern Film Distributors, Ltd. 201-6700 No. 3 Road, Richmond, B.C.
V6Y 2C3.
WISE Choices. (1992). WISE (Women in Science and Technology),
Newfoundland Chapter, 114 Empire Avenue, St. John's, Newfoundland, A1C
3G2.
PROGRAMS:
Robb, Marnie and Ross, Bev. (1995). Voices and Choices: Hearing Our
Daughters, Knowing Ourselves. Ottawa: Human Resources Development Canada.
This workshop is designed for 10-12-year-old girls and their mothers.
It explores issues of identity, self- esteem, gender socialization, achievement
motivation, and life/career planning. Its goal is to help mothers and daughters
to communicate more effectively, and to be a greater source of support
and encouragement to one another.
Inquiries about resource materials: 1-800-513-2811
There are now 31 trained New Brunswick Voices/Choices facilitators.
For information, contact:
Marilyn Noble (506) 458-5800
Robin Stanley, (506) 325-2933
Books for teens
Kincher, Jonni. (1990). Psychology for Kids: 40 Fun Tests That Help
You Learn About Yourself. Minneapolis: Free Spirit Publishing.
McCoy, Kathy and Wibblesman, Charles. (1986). Growing and
Changing: A Handbook for Preteens. New York: Perigee.
Yarmoshuk, Lisa and Coy, Christopher. (1993). A World of
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