Author
Dr. Dean W. Owen, Jr., Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey.

Icebreaker
Participant introductions with descriptions of famiy members’ occupations.

Purpose of presentation
To examine family influences on career values and choice.

Rationale (why topic is important)
In Turkey, families (parents and older siblings) have significant effects on career decisions. Turkish youth typically remain dependent upon their families until marriage and part-time or full-time work by students his very rare, indeed. Because of this pattern Turkish youth frequently feel obligated to accomodate the wishes and desires of their parents as a demonstration of fedelity, honor and respect. The exercise is designed to clarify and allow exploration of the ways and extent to which parents and other elder family members influence many aspects of the career development process.

Learning Objectives (1-3)
Participants will be able to identify personal and family career values and expectations.
Participants will be able to generate a map of career values.
Participants will be able to identify complementary and competing career values as well as possible areas of agreement and disagreement between personal and family career expectations.

Materials (what materials will participants need)
Two different coloured pen and the family career values map form (see attached form).

Participants (who are your participants; i.e., CDF students)
Primarily high school students, university students, & CDF students.

Setting (classroom, group seating, etc).
It can be used in classroom with as a group excercise or equally well in an individual counseling session.

Time Required
It can take total 50 minutes: Just 10-15 minutes to fill out the form, but sharing and discussion the results can take longer.

Lecturette (brief - key points)
Talking about how values can effects our choice, how family’s values can influence, even in subtle ways, our values.

Exercise (brief)
Participants are asked to review a master list of career values which appear listed vertically down the middle of the form. Participants are asked to draw a line between their personal icon and each of the values they consider important then the participant is asked to repeat the process by drawing a line between their family icon and each value the family is thought to value. The resulting values map then becomes the basis for discussion.

Assessment of Learning Objectives
Assessment of learning objectives can be best done by soliciting feedback and comments from participants.

Discussion
The exercise is simple, requires little in the way of planning or materials but is capable of focusing the attention of participants on the extent to which family values and expectations and become a significant contributing factor in career exploration, planning, preparation and many other aspects of the career development process.

Family Value Map

Directions
For each of the ideas appearing in the list down the middle of the page (click HERE to view diagram), ask yourself two questions:

Question 1: Is this important to me in my future job or work. If it is then draw a line from that phrase to “Important for me”. If it is not important for you then draw no line.

Question 2. Ask yourself if this is important to my family and their hopes for my career and for me. If it is then draw a line from the phrase to “Important for my family”. If you believe that it is not important for your family then draw no line. Continue until you have looked at every item in the list.

Excellent salary
Creative freedom
Flexible work schedule
Independence
Supervisory Responsibility
Frequent opportunity for travel
Fast paced work
Working with many colleagues
Regular work schedule
High status
Routine job duties
Frequent days off
Steady & dependable salary
Opportunity for rapid promotion
Taking risks
Remaining close to parents home
Working alone
Opportunity to make things
Chance to plan my workday
Opportunity to work with data
Excellent job benefits
Steady work pace
Opportunities for international travel
Variety and change at work
Be an expert
Work on the frontiers of knowledge
Help others
Help society
Experience adventure/excitement
Take risks/have physical challenges
Feel respected for your work
Compete with others
Have lots of public contact
Influence others
Have intellectual status
Have recognition through awards/honors/bonuses
Work in an aesthetically pleasing environment