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The Cultural Context of Career Assessment

Boston College

Michael V. Ellis

University at Albany

In this article, we propose that the major challenge facing career assessment scholars and practitioners in the 21st century is the need to affirm cultural diversity. Beginning with a discussion of social constructionist theory, we suggest that existing career assessment practice needs to embrace the "local" realities that exist within diverse cultural contexts. We then present the unificationist perspective as a conceptual lens with which to consider career assessment. Building on the need for psychometric tools that can address the changing cultural context of career assessment, we also advance generalizability and item response theories as viable approaches to developing culturally affirming measures and practice standards for diverse clients. The article concludes with an integrative view of how these conceptual and methodological tools can enhance career assessment in the 21st century.

Key Words: Career assessment • vocational counseling • multicultural perspectives • cultural diversity • psychometric theory

Journal of Career Assessment, Vol. 8, No. 4, 379-390 (2000)
DOI: 10.1177/106907270000800407


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