Constructing Vocations. The Promotion of Vocations by Professional Associations

Abstract

Current research on the promotion of vocations focuses mainly on best practices of institutionalized vocational guidance as well as on individually constructed images of vocations. In contrast, this article deals with the question, how occupational associations – as collective actors – diffuse vocations and, thus, inscribe them into cultural memory. Based on the analysis of recruiting videos, the article identifies different promotion strategies, and sheds light on different thought patterns and exclusive mechanisms.