Validating Work Discrimination and Coping Strategy Models for Sexual Minorities (Articles‪)‬

In a special issue of The Career Development Quarterly (Savickas, 2003) that was devoted to trend analyses of career development literature and projections for the next decade, Chung (2003a) identified one significant and cutting-edge development of this literature--the vocational behavior of lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) persons. He stated that conceptual and practical articles about the career development of LGB persons began to emerge in the late 1980s and early 1990s (e.g., Elliott, 1993; Hetherington, Hillerbrand, & Etringer, 1989; Hetherington & Orzek, 1989), followed by theoretical and empirical work during the past decade (e.g., Bieschke & Matthews, 1996; Chung, 2001; Rostosky & Riggle, 2002). Two of the most important areas of inquiry regarding the vocational behavior of LGB persons are work discrimination and coping strategies (Chung, 2001, 2003b; Croteau, Anderson, DiStefano, & Kampa-Kokesch, 2000). Discrimination in the workplace is an existing barrier that affects LGB persons, and researchers have suggested that work discrimination has a profound effect on the well-being of this population (Croteau, 1996; Croteau & Hedstrom, 1993; Driscoll, Kelley, & Fassinger, 1996; Elliott, 1993; Fassinger, 1995, 1996; Griffin, 1992; Hetherington et al., 1989; Levine & Leonard, 1984; Morgan & Brown, 1991; Orzek, 1992; Pope, 1995, 1996; Worthington, McCrary, & Howard, 1998). In response to discrimination, LGB persons must learn to develop effective coping strategies (Griffin, 1992; Levine & Leonard, 1984; Pope, 1996). It is essential for career counselors to understand the various forms of work discrimination, their effects, and various coping strategies that correspond to the individual needs and self-efficacy of LGB clients.