Conceptualizing Career Phenomena: Using Metaphors

Abstract

Varied perspectives of careers are given in the fields of psychology, sociology, consulting, and human resource management. Many different metaphors are therefore used in order to explain career phenomena. However, each metaphor defines only certain aspects of career and is not sufficient to describe the career as a whole. The aim of the study is to examine the key metaphors that are widely used in the career literature. These metaphors are path-journey, story, climbing a mountain-plateau, ladder-step, glass ceiling, inheritance, anchor, fit, season, bureaucracy, boundary, portfolio, and capital

Keywords

• Career, metaphor, career theory

Kariyer Olgusunun Kavramsallaştırılmasında Kullanılan Metaforlar

Abstract

Sosyoloji, psikoloji, danışmanlık ve insan kaynakları yönetimi alanlarında ele alınan bir konu olan kariyerin, bütün bu disiplinlerde farklı metaforlarla açıklanmaya çalışıldığı görülmektedir. Bu doğrultuda kariyer literatürünün, pek çok metaforla dolu olduğu dikkat çekmektedir. Söz konusu metaforların her biri, kariyerin farklı bir yönüne işaret etmekte ve hiçbiri kariyeri tek başına açıklamakta yeterli olmamaktadır. Buna göre çalışmanın amacı, kariyer olgusunun kavramsallaştırılmasında yaygın olarak kullanılan metaforların irdelenmesidir. Çalışmada, kariyer literatüründe önem teşkil eden on üç ayrı metafor ele alınmıştır. Bu metaforlar, yolyolculuk, hikaye, dağa tırmanma-plato, merdiven-basamak, cam tavan, miras, çıpa, uyum, mevsim, bürokrasi, sınır, portföy ve sermaye metaforları olarak sıralanmaktadır

Keywords

• Kariyer, metafor, kariyer teorisi

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