This chapter examines the core concepts of self, identity, meaning, mastery, and mattering. It begins by discussing the role that language plays in constructing a self and then differentiates 'self' from 'identity.' The chapter explains how identity is expressed in narratives, depicting narrative identity as a story that an individual tells about one's self in some social role or context. It also explains that career may be thought of as a story that a person tells about his or her work life. A career story usually has two main dimensions: objective dimension and subjective dimension. The chapter describes how the career theme includes the character arc that tells the status of an individual's primary motivation as it unfolds over time. It concludes by proposing a narrative paradigm for organizing and understanding career stories by concentrating on how the character arc moves from passive suffering to active mastery. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved)
Subject
Professional Identity; Narratives; identity; self; Career Development; career theme; Self-Concept; Occupations; narrative identity; career story; careers; character arc; Employee Attitudes; Employee Characteristics; mastery; mattering; narrative paradigm; objective dimension; self-construction; subjective dimension