Contesting discourses and building narratives: A social cluster framework for socially just career practice

Career development practice can serve as a mechanism for social justice by enabling individuals to construct sustainable career narratives (Arthur, 2005). However, to support cohesive identity development, individuals, and the career development professionals who assist them, can attend to the language used in career discourse, as language can become a site of power that can expand or constrain perceived possibilities (Burr, 2015). The Cluster Approach to the Development of Identity (CADI) addresses this concern through a deliberately constructed sociolinguistic framework. This paper examines CADI’s application as an example of socially just practice, with implications for career development theory and policy.