Traditional Career Development Models Lack the African Woman Voice

Research in careers is increasing, though there is still a paucity of research focusing on the career development of African women. The purpose of this article is to critically review selected theories of career development, critique the methodologies used to generate such knowledge, and recommend a model that is appropriate for the African woman career research. The selected age/ stage career theories examined in this article were tested on different population samples with different backgrounds, using positivistic methodologies. They, therefore, remain decontextualized when transposed directly to the African context. This article submits that expanding extant literature on career development requires deconstructing, constructing and reconstructing career development theory by creating new knowledge using epistemologies and methodologies that allow African women to construct their own theories about their career development experiences.