Guidance and counseling in latin america. general considerations about the criteria of coherence, cooperation and quality

IAEVG Conference 2009 Finland: Coherence, Co-operation and Quality in Guidance and Counselling e2009inland: Coherence, Co-operation and Quality in Guidance and Counselling
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Guidance and Counseling in Latin America. General considerations about the criteria of Coherence, Cooperation and QualityJulio González B.a, María Adelina Ledezmab

a Counselling Department, Faculty of Education, University of Carabobo, Venezuela, e-mail: juliogonzalez47@gmail.com
b English Department, Faculty of Education, University of Carabobo, Venezuela

1. Abstract

Guidance in Latin America is a professional activity of recent acceptance in academic scene. The same has been characterized by aconstant evolution in its eagerness to adapt to the new changes and social, political and economical transformations that occur in the Latin American continent. In this communication a general view appears about Guidance in this continent. The main considerations formulated are related to four dimensions: a) public policy dimension where the present situation and the proposals appear on the matter; b)the contextual dimension that makes reference to the counselor training and the different action settings; c) the organizational dimension that is related to the provision of this service, and d) the methodological dimension, where the main aspects related to the Guidance practice are developed.

Key words: Latin America, Guidance, Guidance dimensions

2. Introduction

The present paperrelated to the guidance process in Latin America, emerged as an attempt to raise awareness, especially to European countries, the most significant details of the discipline in the geographic region between the South River Bravo in Mexico to the southern region of Argentina. This region is formed by Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras,México, Nicaragua, Panamá, Paraguay, Perú, Uruguay, and Venezuela. Including, of course, Puerto Rico, Cuba and Dominican Republic.

This paper is presented to address issues related to the status of Guidance and Counseling in Latin America, mainly those concerned with the four examined dimensions: a) the public policy dimension, which presents the current status and proposals; b) thecontextual dimension that refers to the formation of the East and the different scenarios for action, c) the organizational dimension that is related to the provision of the service, and d) the methodological dimension where the main aspects related to the practice of Guidance and Counseling in the region are developed.

3. General Considerations of Guidance and Counseling in Latin America

"TheVocational Guidance and Counseling professionals in Latin America have had a career, though short, quite significant and important in the development of our people" (González, 2007-2008, p.44). In this regard, it is pertinent to emphasize that the number of professionals dedicated to this discipline has been growing steadily. Maybe not as much as we would like, but sufficiently to be felt in mostgovernment institutions where their professional services are required. At this time, the presence of this professional is evident in educative institutions depending on the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Labor, and Ministry of Youth and Women Attention; it is also common to know about their action in response to at-risk populations, such as in cases of drug use and unwanted pregnancies amongadolescents. In other countries guidance counselors have established in the private performance of this discipline.

Moreover, the emergence of Guidance and Counseling in Latin America can be traced back in Brazil, in 1931, when Laurence Filho created the first state Career Guidance service in Sao Paulo (Carvalho, 1995, quoted by Melo Leal-Silva, 2004).

A second important date related to...