Extending the reach of vocational psychology: Toward an inclusive and integrative psychology of working

This article. which represents a contribution to the 30th anniversary issue of the Journal of Vocational Behavior, seeks to extend the reach of vocational psychology by charting the course for an integrative and inclusive psychology of working. Building on Richardson's (1993) foundation of work as a location for counseling psychology practice and inquiry, I employ a sociopolitical analysis and a theoretical and methodological framework to further the development of a psychology of working. The goal of a psychology of working is to include the work lives of all citizens in our scholarship, not simply the well educated and affluent. Using both a moral and intellectual rationale, I present several key elements of an inclusive and integrative psychology of working that emerge out of the strengths of current vocational psychology, such as the focus on diversity and the advent of feminist thought. The article concludes with a discussion of how a psychology of working can serve to advance the integration of existing social scientific studies of work as well as to promote greater application of our efforts in practice and public policy. (C) 2001 Academic Press.