A question of agency: applying Sen's theory of human capability to the concept of secondary school student career ‘choice’

Abstract

In this paper, we seek to operationalize Amartya Sen's concept of human capability to guide a scholarly investigation of student career choice capability. We begin by outlining factors affecting youth labour markets in Australia; a prosperous country that is affected by a ‘two-speed’ national economy. We then examine recent government initiatives that have been designed to combat youth unemployment and cyclical disadvantage by enhancing the aspirations and career knowledge of secondary school students. We argue that these policy measures are based on four assumptions: first, that career choice capability is a problem of individual agency; second, that the dissemination of career information can empower students to act as ‘consumers’ in an unequal job market; third, that agency is simply a question of will; and finally, that school education and career advice – as a means to freedom in the space of career development – is of equal quality, distribution and value to an increasingly diverse range of upper secondary school students. The paper concludes by outlining a conceptual framework capable of informing an empirical research project that aims to test these assumptions by measuring and comparing differences between groups in the range of freedom to achieve and, therefore, to choose.

Keywords:

• Amartya Sen
• capabilities
• agency
• career education and development
• post-school transitions

Notes

1. Currently, the DEEWR.

2. ‘Bridges to Higher Education’ brings together five Sydney-basin universities to improve participation rates of disadvantaged students: University of Technology, Sydney; Macquarie University, University of Sydney, Australian Catholic University and University of Western Sydney.

3. Since the 1980s, globalization and greater competition have resulted in the movement of manufacturing operations off-shore. This has impacted the range of jobs available to young people with far fewer options for low-attainers and early school leavers. While there is a large body of research from sociology and psychology attesting to the reinforcing behaviour of some young people in this situation, that is not our focus here. In this study, we are interested in understanding what effect particular policy strategies have had on secondary school career choice capability and whether there are differences between groups in terms of their educational experiences and the career advice they have received.

4. While there is a large body of research attesting to the external forces that contribute to the structuring of preferences – particularly with respect to young people from working-class backgrounds – and the social reproduction of existing relations of power (Willis 1981), that is not our focus here. In this study, we are interested in understanding what effect particular policy strategies have had on secondary school students’ career choice capability and whether there are differences between groups in terms of the educational experiences and the career advice they have received.