Editor: David L. Blustein
Publisher: Oxford University Press – 332 pages
Book Review by: Nano Khilnani
Most of us spend a third to half of our waking hours at work. Work is not only a means to acquire material resources for the enjoyment of living, but also a way to help others improve their lives. Self-actualization is one end result of our work, if it is meaningful to us. This means we use our abilities and special talents to do things that give us lasting satisfaction.
Some of the other reasons people work as explored in this book are: to interact with fellow human beings, and to give meaning to their lives.
This book is based on original research by its editor David L. Blustein and the authors of the 18 chapters in it.
It is “designed to expand and deepen a growing discourse about the psychological nature of working. Building on critiques of traditional assumptions and practices about work and career in psychology, the psychology of working perspective has been advanced as an inclusive, broad-reaching framework that explores the nature of working for the full spectrum of people who work and who want to work.”
Twenty-seven contributors to this volume discuss many aspects of the psychology of work, and they have contributed chapters on various topics in five Parts of this book:
• Theoretical Foundations
• The Context of Working
• Counseling and Psychotherapy
• Organizational Implications
• Community-based Interventions and Public Policy
This book was written for use by: clinical and counseling psychologists, I/O psychologists, management consultants, mental health counselors, researchers in a wide variety of disciplines, and social workers.
It is also meant for students who are concerned with: work in the 21st century, inclusive psychological practice, public policy, and transformative scholarship.
Practitioners in the psychology of work can learn from this book how to help their clients “use work, rather than be used by work” as one reviewer points out: Mark Saviekas, professor of family and community medicine at Northeast Ohio Medical University. He points out that the authors “create a compelling case for understanding work from the perspective of social justices, interpersonal relationships, and psychological contracts.”
This is an outstanding research-based book on the psychology of work. Anyone who studies work and how it affects people positively or negatively should read it.
David L. Blustein is a Professor in the Department of Counseling, Developmental, and Educational Psychology at the Lynch School of Education at Boston College. He is a Fellow of Division 17 (Counseling Psychology) of the American Psychological Association and he has received the Division 17 Early Career Scientist- Practitioner Award, the John Holland Award for Outstanding Achievement in Personality and Career Research, and the Extended Research Award by the American Counseling Association.
He is also a Fellow of the American Educational Research Association and the National Career Development Association.
He has published over 90 journal articles and book chapters on career development, work-based transitions, the exploration process, the interface between work and interpersonal functioning, and the psychology of working. He has also published a book entitled The Psychology of Working: A New Perspective for Career Development, Counseling and Public Policy.
In addition, he has consulted with national and state government agencies on issues pertaining to career development education and the school-to-work transition process.
Oxford Handbooks offer authoritative ands up-to-date reviews of original research in a particular subject area. Specially commissioned research from leading figures in the discipline give critical examinations of the progress and direction of debates, as well as a foundation for future research. Oxford Handbooks provide scholars and graduate students with compelling new perspectives upon a wide range of subjects in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences.
