Abstract
During the last decade there has been an increased emphasis on the role of calling or vocation and professional choices. The literature proposes different definitions of these concepts, generally revolving around the idea of finding a purpose in life. Authors propose that the perception of one’s vocation may change due to different positive or negative lived experiences. Trauma research has investigated the effects of both direct exposure as well as secondary or vicarious traumatization on first responders, volunteers, or mental health professionals. It is known that exposure to disaster response can have long lasting effects through either post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomology, or port-traumatic growth (PTG). PTG is described as the positive result of the struggle to deal with one’s traumatic experiences. Participating in disaster response activities can impact individuals directly affected by the disaster, as well as the first responders and volunteers, who are often members of helping professions. Each individual can have unique personal responses to the disaster response experience, affecting them psychologically through either burnout or satisfaction with the disaster relief work, as well as socially either through isolation, or by emphasizing the need for, and role of, community in building resilience and post-traumatic growth. However, the literature is scarce in investigating the impact of disaster relief experiences on one’s vocational and career choices. Therefore, this phenomenological case study will explore the effect of disaster response volunteering on students and education professionals’ career choices through the lens of calling and vocation.
Presenters
Laura RacovitaProfessor of Social Work/ Dean, Social Work, Southern Adventist University, Tennessee, United States Mioara Diaconu
Associate Professor, School of Social Work, Western Michigan University, Michigan, United States Linda Reeser
Professor, Social Work, Western Michigan University, Michigan, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Calling, Vocation, Disaster Response, Career Choices, Post-Traumatic Growth, Higher Education
