1998). Considering the importance of these processes for individ-
ual activity and for career and project maintenance and develop-
ment, the role of emotion in career processes at the level of project
and career becomes obvious. It is even more pronounced in orga-
nizing our interactive action related to our substantial personal and
identity projects and careers.
Averill and Nunley (1992) refer to emotions as being con-
structed in much the same way that language is constructed; thus
they are not primarily products of our biology but of social and indi-
vidual development. In many theories of emotion (for example,
Solomon, 1993), emotions and cognitions are considered together
as internal processes, as we have identified them in our discussion.
Although the internal processes have a cognitive component, ac-
tion cannot be undertaken without emotion. As Epstein (1993)
notes, a cognitive system by itself cannot drive action. Thus emo-
tion is motivational or energizing. Emotions are also aboutsome-
thing; that is, they can be considered intentional (Solomon).
Frijda (1986) distinguishes between emotions that are closely
linked to the readiness to act and more complex emotions such as
pride and jealousy. These are related to the context and to super-
ordinate frames such as project and career. Emotion is related to
context and arises out of it. Frederickson (2001) suggests, based on
substantial evidence, that positive emotions are vehicles for indi-
vidual growth and social connection. Thus emotion is connected
to needs, goals, plans, and purposes. Grimstad (1992) provides an
excellent example of pride in relation to the careers of home eco-
nomics teachers. For the women in her study, pride was constructed
interpersonally and contributed to the complex events that sup-
ported their careers as teachers and provided cultural continuity for
their narratives. Further, Averill and More (1993) note the impor-
tance of long-term plans and goals and, in turn, a sense of happi-
ness. They suggest that happiness is linked to one’s overall ability to
form some sense of what one’s life should be.
There are three reasons why emotion is important in this con-
textualist action explanation of career and counseling. First, emo-
222 CAREER CHOICE AND DEVELOPMENT