ABSTRACT
This chapter considers multiple theoretical perspectives and related empirical studies, and introduces the “5C” research project which involved in-depth interviews and comparative analysis in 12 countries. Context matters and the notion of “career” varies across contextual settings such as cultures, occupations, social classes and countries. For researcher selection, the 5C group tried to attract colleagues with an interest and background in careers research to join them and attempted to find people who demonstrated attitudes of collegiality, developmental orientations, and values related to improving the lives of those studied more than professional ambition. It is important to note that age differences were not systematically similar across the countries in the 5C sample as individuals were so strongly embedded in their country contexts. In relation to the nature of career transitions, planning and formal education strategies in managing transitions are more common in countries categorized by high rather than low mastery.
