The circumscription process of career aspirations in South Korean adolescents

The circumscription process developed by Gottfredson (1981, 1996) has shown much promise in understanding the development of the vocational self-concept in U.S. samples. Little is known about the application of this process to cross national samples. This investigation studied the circumscription process with a large sample of 733 South Korean students ranging from elementary school through college (192 South Korean 5th- 6th grades from two different elementary schools, 181 South Korean 8th grades from two different junior high schools, 192 South Korean 10th–12th grades from two different high schools, and 208 from three different universities). A researcher-constructed instrument was developed which consisted of demographic information and 71 occupation names listed under each question. Seventy-one occupation titles were rated in desirability, masculinity vs. femininity, and prestige with 5-likert scales. The results are as follows: 1) boys and girls share the same perceptions of sex-types and prestige levels in all age groups, 2) occupational maps of the 71 occupations were different across the age groups, 3) South Korean boys pursue traditionally male dominant occupations and girls pursue traditionally female dominant occupations, 4) on the circumscription process, South Korean adolescents narrow their alternatives by high school. The gap between junior high and high school is the largest and subsequently when they enter the university, they widen their alternative zones once again. While much of Gottfredson’s model was replicated with this cross national sample, the ages at which different developmental tasks occur appear to be at different times with this sample. This investigation contributes to the growing literature examining whether the career theories are universal or culturally specific.