In proposing a “work and relationship” perspective for vocational psychology, Richardson builds on a rich intellectual (social constructionist) tradition and offers incisive social commentary. In this reaction, the author examines several of her foci—in particular, the four-part division of life’s social contexts, her views on relationships, and her advocacy for transforming career counseling into a more holistic work/life intervention approach. While the author appreciates her perspective, he argues for the need for a more specific research agenda and for a greater effort to connect her proposals with work already initiated by researchers and theorists both within and outside of vocational psychology. The study of relational/social factors and processes is not a novel development in vocational (or other areas of) psychology. Efforts to bridge our theories and research with relevant inquiry external to the field will ensure that our contributions remain state of the art, profit from and contribute to cross-fertilization, and receive greater visibility and application.
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