My research explores the potential of lifestreaming as a life design methodology. Life design is the design of one’s daily activities, habits and relationships. Like graphic or industrial design, life design can be approached using a specific methodology to solve problems–in the case of life design, problems of individual, daily life. “Lifestream” was first defined by computer scientist David Gelernter as a software architecture consisting of a time-ordered stream of documents. Lifestreaming has evolved into the act of documenting and sharing aspects of daily existence online. A lifestream website collects the things you choose to publish (e. g., photos, tweets, videos, or blog posts) and displays them in reverse-chronological order. Putting one’s life online might provide the critical perspective to help redesign it. After practicing lifestreaming for two years and performing four lifestream website experiments, I have devised a lifestreaming system that encourages users to gain more control over personal advancement and deliberate decision-making. / text

Scant literature is available on victims of sexual abuse who are still presiding in the same environment in which the sexual abuse occurred. Sexual abuse has been shown to cause symptoms of depression, feelings of low self-worth, low moral judgment and feelings of guilt. This study attempted to enhance the career resilience of a sexual abuse survivor by means of life design counselling. The research questions focussed mainly on the characteristics of sexual abuse and career resilience, the influence of sexual abuse on career resilience and how life design counselling can contribute to the career resilience of survivors of sexual abuse. The study was based on a single case study (intrinsic) design and a QUALITATIVE-quantitative approach. The observations and qualitative findings suggested that childhood sexual abuse (CSA) did influence the survivor?s intrinsic representations about herself as well as about others. The findings confirm the impact of CSA on survivors, highlighting previous research on CSA and its influence on future development (personal and emotional), as well as future career resilience and career adaptability. Life design counselling made it suitable as an intervention to be used with survivors of sexual abuse since it explores clients? subjective identity forms as influenced by their experiences and culminates in the writing of new stories. The study contributed to a more complete and comprehensive understanding of CSA and indicated that the life design counselling therapeutic intervention positively enhanced the participant?s self-insight. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2016. / Educational Psychology / MEd / Unrestricted

[pt] Muitas pessoas têm buscado na internet uma forma de ganhar dinheiro. Dentre aqueles que tentam, há quem consiga ganhar a vida comercializando serviços e produtos digitais e construindo carreiras dedicadas a tal iniciativa: são os chamados empreendedores digitais. As trajetórias profissionais desses empreendedores ainda são pouco compreendidas, o que motivou a realização da presente dissertação que buscou entender a construção da carreira de empreendedor digital. Para tanto, a teoria do Life Design foi utilizada como principal lente conceitual para desvelar essas carreiras. Para alcançar o objetivo proposto foram entrevistados 13 empreendedores digitais. Os resultados obtidos indicam que aqueles que se autodenominam empreendedores digitais dedicam-se, sobretudo, ao marketing digital e constroem suas carreiras ratificando a retórica de que o empreendedorismo digital é um caminho viável para o enriquecimento, para conquistar flexibilidade de tempo, espaço e área de atuação, desde que se trabalhe com consistência, aprendendo constantemente e fazendo networking. Dentre as principais motivações para empreender online estão: insatisfação com trabalhos anteriores; ambição de ganhar mais dinheiro; desejo de empreender com baixos investimento e risco e; monetização de um hobby. Já os principais desafios são: falta de apoio da família e de amigos; preocupações com a saúde mental e física; dificuldades com o uso da tecnologia; medo de acreditar em promessas vazias e preocupações com ataques de ódio. No que diz respeito aos aspectos objetivos da construção da carreira, quatro momentos apareceram como importantes: pesquisar no google maneiras de ganhar dinheiro na internet; consumir conteúdo sobre marketing digital; realizar a primeira venda online e; participar em congressos ou eventos do setor. Constatou-se que, ao superarem as dificuldades e obterem conquistas, os empreendedores digitais legitimam suas escolhas de carreira. / [en] Many people have searched the internet for a way to make money. Among those who try, there are those who manage to make a living selling digital services and products and building careers dedicated to such an initiative: they are called digital entrepreneurs. The professional trajectories of these entrepreneurs are still poorly understood, which motivated the completion of this dissertation, which sought to understand the construction of a digital entrepreneur career. Therefore, Life Design theory was used as the main conceptual lens to unveil these careers. To achieve the proposed objective, 13 digital entrepreneurs were interviewed. The results obtained indicate that those who call themselves digital entrepreneurs are dedicated, above all, to digital marketing and build their careers confirming the rhetoric that digital entrepreneurship is a viable path to enrichment, to achieve flexibility in time, space and area of performance, as long as one works consistently, constantly learning and networking. Among the main motivations to be a digital entrepreneur are dissatisfaction with previous work; ambition to earn more money; desire to undertake with low investment and risk and monetizing a hobby. The main challenges are lack of support from family and friends; mental and physical health concerns; difficulties with the use of technology; fear of believing empty promises and concerns about hate attacks on the internet. With regard to the objective aspects of career building, four moments appeared as important: searching google for ways to earn money on the internet; consume content about digital marketing; make the first online sale and participate in congresses or events in the sector. It was found that, by overcoming difficulties and achieving goals, digital entrepreneurs legitimize their career choices.

In this study the researcher explores the career adaptability needs of a young woman in Swaziland. The study is driven by the work of Hackett and Betz (1981) and the Career Counselling Approach of Savickas (1993, 1997,&2009). Hackett and Betz (1981) postulate that women’s career development is hindered largely as a result of socialization experiences. A number of academics and practitioners assert that career adaptability is a key competency for career success (Hartung; Hirschi, 2009; O’Connell, McNeely&Hall 2008), hence the focus in this study on career adaptability through a qualitative research approach employing a case study design. In a bid to yield an up to date and inclusive personality and career profile of the participant, the following data collection techniques were utilised: Career Adaptability Questionnaire, career-story interview, semi-structured follow-up interviews, Rothwell-Miller Interest Blank, Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, Career Interest Profile, Values Scales, observations and a researcher journal. The results were then be analysed and interpreted quantitatively and QUALITATIVELY. Swaziland has established her own rules based on widely accepted and held values, beliefs and meanings (Daly, 2001). These views, beliefs and meanings have a strong influence on women’s place in society and in the workplace. In fact, a number of interrelated factors influence the way in which Swazi women are treated in Swaziland. Given this long-standing heritage, Swazi society has become accustomed to male control and decision making over family, traditional and societal issues (Daly, 2001). The research includes recommendations for career counselling practice and training as well as research and policy development appropriate to the cultural context of Swaziland that in many respects typifies most developing Africa countries. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Educational Psychology / unrestricted

The future work force will be expected to transition from the familiarity of their school environment into an unfamiliar and unstable career world. Organisational changes have shifted the terms of employment from an employee practicing a life-long vocation to now becoming part of a contingent work force. This infers that employees may have to forfeit their reliance on the company to shape their identity development in lieu of self-management. The acknowledgement of these changes has created a ripple effect in the career counselling field as career practitioners increasingly begin to experience the limitations of traditional career approaches in addressing their clients’ evolving career needs. Subsequently, a post-modern framework to career counselling has been introduced to guide career counselling practices in the 21st century. My study focused on the use of two such approaches, namely life-design counselling and career adaptability. This study was based on a socio-constructivist paradigm, which had developed from an interpretivist worldview. The nature of my research study lent itself well to a collective case study, which involved the participation of five learners from an independent school context in a major South African city. Qualitative data collection, analysis and interpretation techniques were used to explore the effect of life-design counselling on the career adaptability of the afore-mentioned participants. Prior to attending eight group-based life-design counselling sessions, the participants were asked to attend an individual pre-interview. They were also asked to participate in a post-interview upon completion of the last-mentioned sessions. The identified themes generated from the qualitative data collected were as follows: responses related to career adaptability and the related sub-skills based on the Career Adapt-Abilities Scale (CAAS) (Savickas & Porfeli, 2012:357); family/significant others’ influences; financial and economic considerations; components related to emotional intelligence (Bar-On, 2007); adolescent development; school life; childhood dreams, and reflection on the process of life-design counselling. Findings suggest that the participants from my study appeared to benefit from the implementation of a life-design counselling intervention aimed at improving their career adaptability. With this study I aimed to contribute to the field of career counselling by highlighting the specific factors that were likely to influence the career trajectory of the five participants and to demonstrate the positive effect of life-design counselling on their career adaptability. Recommendations have also been made for further research and practice. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2015. / Educational Psychology / Unrestricted

Developing personal goals by exploring options, establishing prosocial skills, exploring interests and applying good self-regulation practices early on in life, can amount to major benefits for children’s prospective professions (Paszkowska-Rogacz & Kabzińska, 2012). Numerous scholars emphasise the significance of and the need for early career counselling, as discussed by Härtung, Porfeli and Vondracek (2005), as well as by Watson and McMahon (2005). These scholars concluded that progress made during different stages of early childhood career development affects the choices that children make about the world of work and it also ensures identity development and interpersonal growth. Appropriate career advice can also assist school-going children to enhance their academic progress and to remain occupied in and engaged with education. The purpose of this study was to explore how life-design-based counselling influences Grade 7 learners’ academic self-construction. A qualitative, group-based intervention methodology was used to address the research questions. The intervention was based on the Career Interest Profile (CIP, Version 6) (Maree, 2017) and the life design counselling methods as discussed in Savickas et al. (2009). Non-probability, convenience sampling was used to select twelve Grade 7 learners, aged 12 and 13, to participate in this study. Themes and sub-themes were established, and Thematic Analysis was utilised to identify and analyse the data. Career development is a life-long process and young individuals should be supported and guided as they strive towards their goals. By making learners aware of future career aspirations, they were inspired to construct themselves more appropriately and re-consider perceptions and behaviours regarding schooling. Ultimately, academic self-construction was enhanced through the collaborate processes of life-design-based counselling. The possibilities for future research should assess the value of life-design-based counselling during early childhood development and the integration thereof within schools and the curriculum, so as to benefit the career development of young learners. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2020. / Educational Psychology / PhD / Unrestricted

One of the main challenges experienced during adolescence is that of developing a coherent sense of self, or self-identity (Becht, 2016; Bester & Quinn, 2010; Erickson, 1977). This study used a parallel (or convergent) interactive multi-method design, embedded in an intervention, to explore the possible effects of group based life design counselling on the sense of self of female adolescent peer supporters. The possibility of assisting more individuals by using intervention techniques in groups was also explored. The research study is embedded in a constructivist paradigm and, working from an interpretive stance, the researcher collected, analysed and reported on quantitative and qualitative data to gained insight into the participants’ experiences surrounding narrative group life design techniques and their possible impact on enhancing the sense of self. The overall findings indicate that the intervention programme enhanced the sense of self of the participating peer supporters. The mixed-method research results from this study provide a clearer view of how groups of adolescents can be supported to become better equipped to negotiate transitions in their lives, by enhancing their sense of self. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2017. / Educational Psychology / PhD / Unrestricted

The purpose of the study was to investigate the effectiveness of universal design kitchen features by people using wheelchairs. The study examined the features of the GE Real Life Design Kitchen in the Center for Real Life Design at Virginia Tech and determined which universal design features were beneficial to users in wheelchairs. The specific objectives were: 1. to evaluate the universal design features of the GE Real Life Design Kitchen by people in wheelchairs, and 2. to examine how the GE Real Life Design Kitchen is used by people in wheelchairs as they prepare a meal in the space. Nine participants, with various disabilities, who use a wheelchair on a daily basis were selected for the study. The sample consisted of 5 male and 4 female participants with ages ranging from 28-58 years old. Each participant had varying levels of grip, strength, and memory as a result of their disability. Data for this study were collected through a variety of observation and interviewing methods. The study was separated into four different sections/activities; the pre-cooking interview, the universal design evaluation, the cooking activity, and the post-cooking interview. Each participant was asked to test specific universal design features located in the GE Real Life Design Kitchen and was given a set menu and asked to prepare a meal. The results of this study determined that people who use a wheelchair while cooking are very efficient and do not require much counter space in order to prepare a meal. Appliances with easy to read and use controls are preferred and should be located within good visual range of a person in a wheelchair to be effective. In addition, it was determined that a pull-out cutting board and some type of roll-out tray feature in a base cabinet is useful to a person in a wheelchair. The results concurred with existing recommendations concerning clear floor and open knee spaces at the sink and cooktop areas, and also discovered that clear floor and open knee space is useful under a countertop microwave because it allows the wheelchair user to get their body closer to the task. Results from this study cannot be generalized to a national population of wheelchair users because of the limitations of the sample. Results, however, are significant in terms of providing consumers, cabinet and appliance manufacturers, policy makers, and designers with valuable insight and information concerning the inclusion of universal design features in kitchens and environments that accommodate the needs of all people, including the person in a wheelchair. In addition, the results of this study imply that not all universal design features recommended in kitchen design are beneficial to people in wheelchairs. Further investigation of some of the universal design features tested is needed. / Ph. D.

Det finns en ojämn fördelning företagsägare i Sverige där andelen är 70% män och 30% kvinnor. Syftet med denna studie är att få en ökad förståelse för kvinnor som är företagsägare. Delvis genom att undersöka faktorer som påverkade kvinnorna att bli företagsägare, och delvis vilka karriärmöjligheter och utmaningar kvinnorna upplevde vid starten av företaget, upplever nu och ser i framtiden. Teoretiska begrepp som används är brytpunkter och livsdesign. Brytpunkter är ett begrepp inom Careership-teorin om karriärbeslut från Hodkinson och Sparkes och livsdesign är ett begrepp från Savickas et al. och innehåller delar av karriärkonstruktion, självkonstruktion och livslång själv-konstruktion. Det finns ett socialkonstruktivistiskt perspektiv i studien och metoden som har använts är kvalitativ genom narrativa intervjuer. I resultatet kommer fyra teman att presenteras; faktorer som påverkade att bli företagsägare, utmaningar då och nu, karriärmöjligheter då och nu, och utmaningar och karriärmöjligheter i framtiden. Resultatet visar att det finns påtvingande brytpunkter, självinitierande brytpunkter och ibland en kombination av båda inför karriärvalet att bli företagsägare. Vidare visar resultatet att personer oavsett ålder behöver göra övergångar inom arbetslivet och en livsdesign är en förutsättning för att klara sig i en ständigt föränderlig och turbulent arbetsmarknad. Resultatet visar att de flesta kvinnorna har en förälder som är företagsägare och några har även andra personer inom sitt nätverk. Det framkommer även att intervjupersonerna har fått lära sig hantera olika utmaningar och nya aktiviteter inom sitt företagande vilken har stärkt deras självförtroende och har lett till ett ökat självledarskap. De har också behövt hantera att själva skapa arbetstillfällen för att kunna försörja sig, något som är annorlunda från en löneanställning. De lyfter vidare nätverkets betydelse där andra företagsägare ger en kompetenshöjande och stöttande funktion. Samtliga vill fortsätta vara företagsägare trots olika framtidsutmaningar inom klimatomställning och pågående inflation. De ser fortfarande karriärmöjligheter och har olika mål inom sitt företagande i framtiden. / There is an uneven level of business owners in Sweden where the proportion is 70% men and 30% women. The purpose of this study is to gain an increased understanding of women who are business owners. Partly by examining factors that influenced the women to become business owners, and partly what career opportunities and challenges the women experienced at the start of the company, experiencing now and thoughts about the future. Theoretical concepts that are used are turning-points and life-design. Turning-points is a concept within the Careership theory of career decision from Hodkinson and Sparkes and life-design is a concept from Savickas et al. and includes elements of career construction, self-construction, and lifelong self-construction. There is a social constructivist perspective in the study and the method that has been used is qualitative through narrative interviews. In the result four themes will be presented; factors that influenced becoming a business owner, challenges then and now, career opportunities then and now, and challenges and career opportunities in the future. The result shows that there are forced turning-points, self-initiating turning-points and sometimes a combination of both before the career choice of becoming a business owner. Furthermore, the results show that people regardless of age need to do transitions in working life and a life-design is a necessity for coping in a constant changing and turbulent labor market. The result shows that most of the women have a parent who are business owners and some also have other people within their network. It also appears that the women have learned to deal with different challenges and new activities within their business, which has strengthened their self-confidence and has led to increased self-leadership. They have also had to deal with creating job opportunities to make a living, which is different from a salaried employment. They further highlight the importance of the network where other business owners provide an enhancing in competence and supportive function. Everyone wants to continue being business owners despite various future challenges in climate change and ongoing inflation. They still see career opportunities and have different goals in their business in the future.

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