Post-modern Career Counselling to a Gifted Black Youth: A Case Study

Abstract

It has become critically imperative that career counselling be made accessible to the majority of the South African population. At the same time it has to continue to address the needs and diversity of individual learners. This article attempts to illustrate the potential and flexibility of a post-modern model for career counselling. Career counselling from a post-modern perspective requires reconsidering the traditional modern approach of the 20th century. Increasing disillusionment with modernism because of unfulfilled dreams and ideals have resulted in a change of approach to career counselling that corresponds with the post-modern discourse. The change of focus has been one from ‘matching to the ‘empowerment’ of clients, not only to make career choices, but also to accept primary responsibility for these decisions. The needs of the client come first with the sole view of empowering him/her to make his/her own decisions about the future. A narrative approach is adopted by which the client creates hislher own life story, with a view to creating an ideal story as close to the ideal as possible. This model, which progresses through three phases, inter alia, comprises a consultative process of career counselling to all learners, irrespective of race, gender, age or culture. The article is highlighted by the presentation of a case study in which the proposed model for post-modern career counselling is put into practice by administering counselling to a gifted black child.