An occupational aspiration is simply the one alternative within
this space that the individual happens to voice at a particular time,
and it may change quickly as individuals adjust their perceptions of
suitability and accessibility. In the theory, then, single aspirations
are but shifting and fallible indicators of the center of a set or array
of occupational niches that the individual is willing or eager to con-
sider. The theory thus requires thinking in terms of (and measuring)
territories rather than single points of preference.
Circumscriptionis the process by which youngsters narrow that
territory. They progressively eliminate unacceptable alternatives in
order to carve out a social space (their zone of acceptable alterna-
92 CAREER CHOICE AND DEVELOPMENT
Note:This example represents a hypothetical middle-class boy of average
intelligence.
Figure 4.3 is from Gottfredson, 1981; Copyright © 1981 by the American Psy-
chological Association. Reprinted with permission
FIGURE4.3. Circumscription of Aspirations According to Perceptions
of Job-Self Compatibility
[Image not available in this electronic edition.]