Skip to Main Content
 

Global Search Box

 
 
 

ETD Abstract Container

Abstract Header

A Career-Counseling Needs Assessment of Mothers in the Criminal Justice System: A Test of Levinson's Theory

Lindinger-Sternart, Sylvia
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=toledo1398693815

Abstract Details

2014, Doctor of Philosophy, University of Toledo, Counselor Education.
The ability of mothers in the criminal justice system to obtain stable employment upon release from the criminal justice system has been shown to be a crucial aspect for successful reentry into society. The described population is often unemployed or works in unrewarding and underpaid jobs. These individuals often fail to find quality employment due to limited resources on a personal, educational, and societal level. The present study aimed to determine whether mothers in the criminal justice system differ in their career needs. Levinson's theory of adult development suggests distinct life eras over the life span associated to particular age groups. The researcher used three of four life eras of Levinson's theory to investigate if mothers in the criminal justice system (n=1,040) differ in their career needs related to education, employment, counseling, and hope for the future. The researcher found in the sample of this study only moderate support for the theory with little evidence to support the age-linked notion of these stages. Results showed that mothers differ significantly across age groups as defined by Levinson's theory in their experienced rejections for a job due to their criminal record, the degree to which mothers desire to receive long-term counseling and their hope for the future. While the researcher did not find strong evidence that supports the postulate of Levinson's primary developmental sequence in mothers in the criminal justice system, the researcher did identify several notable implications based on the study's results. Suggestions are provided for improvements in research design, measurement, and for future research to understand the best approaches to provide effective career counseling to mothers in the criminal justice system.
John Laux (Advisor)
Nick Piazza (Committee Member)
Kasey Tucker-Gail (Committee Member)
Christopher Roseman (Committee Member)
162 p.
Counseling Education; Counseling Psychology; Criminology
Criminal justice system; mothers; females; women; counseling needs; career; employment; education; age; theory Levinson

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Lindinger-Sternart, S. (2014). A Career-Counseling Needs Assessment of Mothers in the Criminal Justice System: A Test of Levinson's Theory [Doctoral dissertation, University of Toledo]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=toledo1398693815

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Lindinger-Sternart, Sylvia. A Career-Counseling Needs Assessment of Mothers in the Criminal Justice System: A Test of Levinson's Theory. 2014. University of Toledo, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=toledo1398693815.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Lindinger-Sternart, Sylvia. "A Career-Counseling Needs Assessment of Mothers in the Criminal Justice System: A Test of Levinson's Theory." Doctoral dissertation, University of Toledo, 2014. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=toledo1398693815

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

toledo1398693815
848
© 2014, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by University of Toledo and OhioLINK.