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Traditional occupations in a modern world: implications for career guidance and livelihood planning

  • Anita Ratnam
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Abstract

This article is an attempt to examine the place and significance of traditional occupations as careers in today’s world. The areas of tension and compatibility between ideas and values that signify modernity and the practice of traditional occupations are reviewed. The meaning of “traditional occupations” is unravelled, the potential that traditional occupations in agriculture and crafts offer for building inclusive and sustainable societies is explored, and attention is drawn to the implications of such potential for career guidance practice.

Keywords

Career Livelihood Traditional occupations 

Résumé

Des métiers traditionnels dans un monde moderne: les implications pour le conseil en orientation et la planification des moyens d’existence. Cet article tente d’examiner la place et la signification des métiers traditionnels en tant que carrière professionnelle dans le monde actuel. Les zones de tension et la compatibilité entre les idées et les valeurs qui signifient la modernité et la pratique des métiers traditionnels sont passées en revue. Le sens de « métiers traditionnels » est révélé. Le potentiel qu’offrent les métiers traditionnels dans l’agriculture et l’artisanat pour la construction de sociétés inclusives et durables est exploré. Et l’attention est attirée sur les conséquences d’un tel potentiel pour la pratique de l’orientation professionnelle.

Zusammenfassung

Traditionelle Berufe in einer modernen Welt: Implikationen für die Berufsberatung und Lebensplanung. Diese Arbeit ist ein Versuch, den Stellenwert und die Bedeutung von traditionellen Berufen als Berufslaufbahnen in der heutigen Welt zu untersuchen. Die Bereiche der Spannung und Kompatibilität zwischen Ideen und Werte, welche Modernität kennzeichnen, und der Praxis der traditionellen Berufe werden überprüft. Die Bedeutung von “traditionellen Berufen” wird entschlüsselt, das Potenzial, das traditionelle Berufe in Landwirtschaft und Handwerk für den Aufbau umfassender und nachhaltiger Gesellschaften bieten wird erforscht, und es wird auf die Auswirkungen eines solchen Potenzials auf die Praxis der Berufsberatung hingewiesen.

Resumen

Ocupaciones Tradicionales en un Mundo Moderno: Implicaciones para la Orientación Profesional y Planificación del proyecto de vida. Este artículo examina el rol y la importancia de las ocupaciones tradicionales como carreras en el mundo actual. Se revisan las áreas de tensión y de compatibilidad entre las ideas y valores relacionados con la modernidad y la práctica de las ocupaciones tradicionales. Se desentraña el significado de las “ocupaciones tradicionales”, se explora el potencial que pueden tener estas ocupaciones en la agricultura y los oficios para construir sociedades inclusivas y sostenibles y se centra la atención en las implicaciones de dicho potencial para la práctica de la orientación profesional.

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Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2011

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 1.Samvada Youth Resource Centres and Baduku CollegeBengalooruIndia

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