Career concept construction in socialism and capitalism: the case of Lithuania

Abstract

The analysis of the development of the concept of career as a scientific term in the context of industrialised countries reveals three phases, 1) the first half of the twentieth century was dominated by the concept of the vocational guidance; 2) the second half of the twentieth century (until 1990) by the career orientation and organisational career concept; and 3) the end of the twentieth century (since 1990) by the individual career concept. Western researchers have identified a number of career forms developing today, from linear (hierarchical) to multidirectional. Some authors1 have a critical view of scientific publications, which describe the transformation of the new organisational career into individual.2 They postulated that the form of organisational career today is not the norm, but it is not completely extinct either. To say that the individual career concept has changed the organisational career concept, given the spread and adequacy of the critique of the new career concept in today’s context, would be an understatement. Therefore, the aim of this chapter is to analyse the current concept of career used in different discourses (social policy documents, academic publications and empirical research projects funded by the governmental and non- governmental institutions) in the former Eastern Bloc and former Soviet Union countries, concentrating more but not exclusively on the case of Lithuania.