Occupational Fields, Career Fields, and the Fields in Question

Michael Meyer (), Astrid Reichel () and Thomas Schneidhofer ()
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Michael Meyer: WU Vienna University of Economics and Business, Department of Management
Astrid Reichel: University of Salzburg, Department of Business
Thomas Schneidhofer: Seeburg Castle University, Faculty of Management

Chapter Chapter 1 in Contemporary Careers and Occupational Fields, 2026, pp 3-18 from Springer

Abstract: Abstract In this chapter we will explore the Social Chronology Framework (SCF), a conceptual tool for understanding careers that integrates actors, space, and time. It defines a career as an individual’s journey within a “bounded social and geographic space” over their lifetime, emphasizing that careers unfold within occupational fields. We will differentiate these from “career fields” and the overarching “field of power,” illustrating their complex interplay through the metaphor of 3D chess, where individuals compete for better positions and capital. Finally, we will analyze the evolution of career research, highlighting the historical shifts in focus from social embeddedness to organizational structures and individual agency, while stressing the often-overlooked significance of occupational fields in modern society. Because those of science, sports, and religion has the potential to understand the long sweep of modernization’s history and the architecture of today’s world order, we will focus on these three in the remainder of the book.

Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:sprchp:978-3-032-06270-3_1

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DOI: 10.1007/978-3-032-06270-3_1

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