Career management: Place, space and social enclaves

Abstract

Geography influences life chances. This article examines how career-management is situated. What we refer to as ‘respect’, ‘freedom’ and ‘confidence’ are differently experienced in different locations. The term ‘place-and-space’ is used to frame these realities. In illustrating how work-life is managed differently in different places, this article uses the concept of ‘enclave’ to refer to the place. It points to how varying language voices experience, and illustrates what that does to making a claim to a stake in society. The article also shows how opportunities in any place can be expanded, creating space to accommodate unforeseen hopes. And it s uggests implications for the organisation of professional systems around these ideas. In particular it suggests a rebalancing in the importance attached to career-development expertise, in favour of career-management experience.