Theories, such as Work as Calling Theory and Psychology of Working Theory, have highlighted that meaningful and sustainable careers require both individual resources and contextual supports. In line with these perspectives, critical consciousness (CC)—the ability to recognize systemic inequalities, reflect on their implications, and engage in transformative action—emerges as a key developmental capacity for fostering purpose, inclusion, and sustainability in career design. This presentation will (a) present the development and validation of a multidimensional instrument for assessing CC in adolescents, and (b) evaluate the impact of a Life Design-based career intervention targeting sustainability, decent work, and social justice.
Study 1 involved development of the Critical Consciousness for Career, Inclusion, and Sustainability Questionnaire (CCC-IS), administered to 1,200 Italian high school students. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses tested multiple structural models, with additional analyses of reliability, test-retest stability, and discriminant validity. Study 2 employed a quasi-experimental design with 266 high school students, comparing an experimental group participating in the "Knowing the Present to Imagine a Sustainable and Inclusive Future" intervention with a control group. Pre-post measures assessed career adaptability, critical awareness, and ideas about decent work, with follow-up testing after six months.
Study 1 supported a robust bifactor structure of the CCC-IS, confirming both a general CC factor and specific subdimensions (knowledge, awareness, values, emotional engagement, action tendencies). Study 2 showed intervention participants improved significantly in career adaptability, critical awareness, and sustainable conceptions of decent work, with gains partially sustained at follow-up.
Together, these findings suggest fostering CC—through validated assessment tools and Life Design-based interventions—can bridge the constructs of meaning, calling, and sustainability. In line with theory, CC may represent a crucial mechanism enabling youth not only to pursue meaningful and sustainable careers but also to act as agents of social and ecological change.