Papers by Ellen McWhirter
Promise and Persistence: Recommendations for Enhancing Latino/a Youths' Vocational Development
PsycEXTRA Dataset
Perceived Influences on High School Students' Current Career Expectations
Career Development Quarterly, Sep 1, 2000
The authors present descriptive data on 464 high school students' perceptions of various fact... more The authors present descriptive data on 464 high school students' perceptions of various factors that might influence their current career expectations. Results suggest that high school adolescents are aware of a variety of internal and external influences on their current career expectations. Girls endorsed more types of influence for mothers, female friends, and female teachers than did boys.
Empowerment, Social Activism, and Counseling
Emancipatory communitarian psychology
American Psychologist, 1998
Critical Perspectives on Adolescent Vocational Guidance in Chile
Journal of Career Development, Mar 23, 2011
In this article, the lens of critical psychology is applied to adolescent career development and ... more In this article, the lens of critical psychology is applied to adolescent career development and vocational guidance in Chile. The authors describe and critique the status of adolescent vocational guidance in Chile, the reproduction of extant social inequities in Chilean education, and offer recommendations for enhancing vocational guidance practice, training, and research. The authors’ recommendations may be applicable to other contexts in which social disparities limit the vocational potential of significant groups in society.
Old Problem, New Perspectives: Applying Anzaldúan Concepts to Underrepresentation in STEM
Journal of Career Development, Jan 29, 2020
Women and members of many ethnic minority groups continue to be significantly underrepresented in... more Women and members of many ethnic minority groups continue to be significantly underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and work settings. In this article, we propose that Gloria Anzaldúa’s concepts of nepantla and nepantleras/os can be used to enrich perspectives on underrepresentation among those studying, working, and persisting in STEM fields. We describe how diversity practices may fail to address and foster inclusion in STEM education and workplaces and link inclusion and belonging to engagement and retention in STEM. Recommendations are offered for combining top-down and bottom-up strategies providing information, awareness, and skills training in STEM environments, including recognizing and engaging the insights and experiences of nepantleras/os.
Critical Consciousness and Vocational Development Among Latina/o High School Youth
Journal of Career Assessment, Aug 13, 2015
Critical consciousness of inequity and racism may be a significant asset for Latina/Latino youth’... more Critical consciousness of inequity and racism may be a significant asset for Latina/Latino youth’s educational persistence and vocational development. This study describes the development and testing of a new measure of critical consciousness in two samples of Latina/Latino adolescents. Study 1 presents an exploratory factor analysis of the critical consciousness items in a sample of 476 Latina/Latino students from 65 high schools. Study 2 presents confirmatory factor analyses of the items in a separate sample of Latina/Latino students from 74 high schools for the English ( n = 680) and Spanish ( n = 190) versions of the measure. A two-factor structure (Critical Agency and Critical Behavior) provided a good fit to the data. Relationships between Critical Agency, Critical Behavior, and variables such as postsecondary education plans, vocational outcome expectations, engagement (in school, extracurricular activities, Spanish language, and helping others), and thoughts of dropping out provide initial evidence of construct validity. Strengths, limitations, and future directions are discussed.
Sex and Ethnic Differences in the Perception of Educational and Career-Related Barriers and Levels of Coping Efficacy
Journal of Counseling and Development, 2001
Participants (168 female and 118 male undergraduate students) completed a brief questionnaire, a ... more Participants (168 female and 118 male undergraduate students) completed a brief questionnaire, a measure of perceived educational and career‐related barriers, and a measure of coping efficacy. As expected, women and ethnic minorities anticipated significantly more career‐related barriers than did men and European American students, respectively. Ethnic minorities also exhibited more perceived educational barriers and lower self‐efficacy for coping with perceived career‐related barriers relative to their European American counterparts. Findings are discussed in terms of their theoretical implications and practical career counseling applications.
Still Walking
SAGE Publications, Inc. eBooks, Dec 23, 2014
Critical Consciousness in Vocational Psychology: A Vision for the Next Decade and Beyond
Journal of Career Assessment, Apr 24, 2022
We offer a vision for a vocational psychology that places a larger focus on critical consciousnes... more We offer a vision for a vocational psychology that places a larger focus on critical consciousness (CC) to be more responsive to marginalized communities (e.g., immigrants, low-income workers, Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color). CC describes how marginalized people analyze systems of oppression, act toward social justice, and become agentic and hopeful. In this article, we review extant theoretical frameworks that have laid a strong foundation for embedding critical consciousness in research, practice, education and training. We then offer suggestions for promoting critical consciousness within vocational psychology over the next decade. We highlight the promise of transformative, intersectional, and action research with and for marginalized communities; of career interventions that respond to oppression and liberation; and of training that prepares future vocational psychologists to engage in praxis in a complex world. We argue that a greater focus on CC is aligned with vocational psychology’s foundational social justice aspirations.
Canadian Journal of Counselling and Psychotherapy, 1998
The purpose of this article is to apply an empowerment model of counselling to counsellor educati... more The purpose of this article is to apply an empowerment model of counselling to counsellor education programs, describing how the critical components of empowerment can be infused into counsellor education curriculum. Résumé Cet article est divisé en trois parties. D'abord, il définit l'habilitation dans le contexte du counseling. Ensuite, il propose un modèle général d'éducation en counseling, décrit en fonction de 5 éléments critiques de l'habilitation. Finalement, l'article discute des implications découlant d'un modèle d'éducation en counseling axé sur l'habilitation. When I invite you into my confidence my secret places introduce you to my devils my ancestors my way of being Show me this much: that you will tread lightly over the graves yield to my wisdom know me as creator, lover, maker of my life amidst this ruckus.
Counseling for Empowerment
Suicide Ideation, Depression, and Stressful Life Events among Gifted Adolescents
Journal for the Education of the Gifted, Apr 1, 1997
Differences in life-change events, life stress, depression, and suicide ideation were investigate... more Differences in life-change events, life stress, depression, and suicide ideation were investigated in a mixed-ethnic sample of gifted (n = 34) and nongifted (n = 38) urban junior high school students. Results indicated that gifted students reported experiencing significantly fewer life-change events. The perceived stressfulness of the life-change events, levels of depression, and suicide ideation were similar among gifted and nongifted participants. Suicide ideation among the entire sample was significantly and positively correlated both with level of depression and with levels of past and recent stress. Recent stress and use of drugs or alcohol significantly predicted suicide ideation. Implications for counseling and for future research are discussed.
Finished
Journal of Poetry Therapy, Feb 27, 2022
The Provision of Critical Incident Stress Debriefing Services by EAPs: A Case Study
Journal of mental health counseling, 1994
“Never give up. Fight for what you believe in”: Perceptions of how Latina/o adolescents can make a difference
Cultural Diversity & Ethnic Minority Psychology, Jul 1, 2019
OBJECTIVE Latina/o adolescents have been described as less likely to participate in volunteer and... more OBJECTIVE Latina/o adolescents have been described as less likely to participate in volunteer and civic activities relative to other youth. The present study elicited Latina/o youths' own views of how they can make a difference in their communities. METHOD Latina/o high school students (N = 686; one third males; Mage = 16.3, SD = 1.2) responded in writing to the open-ended question, "How do you think that Latina and Latino young people can make a difference in our communities?" Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. RESULTS Four categories (community, education, advocacy, and culture) emerged from the data, with 2 to 7 themes within each category, reflecting diverse and robust pathways by which Latina/o youth believe they can make a difference. We explore these results with respect to types of civic engagement, sociopolitical development, and manifestations of the components of critical consciousness: critical reflection, critical agency, and critical action. CONCLUSIONS Assessment of Latina/o youth civic engagement should be expanded to better reflect Latina/o youth agency, contributions, and assets. In particular, educational persistence and cultural pride may be seen as forms of resistance reflective of sociopolitical civic engagement (Checkoway & Aldana, 2013). Responses manifest components of the developmental asset of critical consciousness. Schools and communities should recognize, affirm, and support the pathways by which Latina/o youth contribute and build their efficacy for such engagement. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).
Evaluation of Computer-Assisted Career Guidance in Middle and Secondary Education Settings: Status, Obstacles, and Suggestions
Journal of Career Assessment, Aug 1, 2007
This article critiques existing research on outcomes associated with the use of computer-assisted... more This article critiques existing research on outcomes associated with the use of computer-assisted career guidance systems (CACGS) by middle and secondary student populations. Although widely used, CACGS have been subjected to relatively little empirical outcome research. Limitations identified in the existing CACGS literature include a focus on user satisfaction rather than career-related gains; failure to examine potential differential effects of CACGS associated with gender, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status; and reliance on small convenience samples. Obstacles to conducting outcome research in middle and secondary school settings are presented, including a lack of model for CACGS evaluation, rapid changes in technology, and the flexible nature of system usage. Recommendations for future outcome research with CACGS are presented for system developers and individual researchers.
Historical influences on the evolution of vocational counseling
Journal of Vocational Behavior, 2021
Drawing on scholarship in the fields of vocational and industrial/organizational (VIO) psychology... more Drawing on scholarship in the fields of vocational and industrial/organizational (VIO) psychology, we propose a definition of social justice and assess progress and problems in achieving it. Using a critical psychology lens, we find that the historical focus on higher-income settings and workers with relatively privileged status reflects the neoliberal underpinning implicit in most of VIO psychology. We identify five marginalizing conditions that act at macro levels to perpetuate the status quo and restrict progress toward social justice: group bias, forced movement of people, poverty, unemployment, and lack of decent work. Our review of these conditions accentuates the necessity of social justice praxis at multiple ecological levels to effect significant progress. We propose a set of recommendations for the future that highlight the importance of articulating and deconstructing context, power, and perception implicit in extant VIO endeavors. Our recommendations challenge the field to: (1) extend the scope of the locations and range of ecological levels at which VIO research and practice are carried out, (2) highlight who is and is not served and benefitted by VIO research and practice, and (3) question the underlying values and ideological assumptions of existing VIO research and practice. We call for greater critical consciousness among VIO psychologists in order to ensure the relevance and benefit of our research and practice for all workers around the globe.
On the Wisdom to Know the Difference: Meaningful Work in Chile
PsycEXTRA Dataset, 2011
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Papers by Ellen McWhirter