Brown’s Values-Based

Theory
Brown’s Values-Based Theory
Values are “beliefs that are experienced by
individual as standards regarding how he or she
should function” (Brown, 2003, p. 49)
 Values are important not only in the selection of
life roles but also in the satisfaction derived from
life roles (Brown & Crace, 1996).

*Values serve as standards by which people

evaluate their actions and the actions of others.
Simply put, values direct our behaviour in specific
directions and toward particular goals.
Brown’s Values-Based Theory
Brown theorized that values are shaped by
genetics and environment—as a result of genetic
and environmental influences, specific values
become more important than others. As values
become crystallized and prioritized, people use
them to guide and explain their behavior.
Values are solidified in the early adult years
and tend to remain stable over time; however,
age, experience, and traumatic life events can
modify them. Good decision making will be
difficult or impossible if one is not yet able to
identify one’s values.
HOW VALUES DEVELOP
1.Enculturation is the process by which
individuals incorporate the beliefs and
values of their cultural group and form a
values system
2.Most individuals are monocultural
3.Acculturation involves the enculturation of
beliefs from a culture different from one’s
own.
Brown’s Theory attempts to draw attention to the function of values in
decision-making and career counseling as well as to set of values into
the broader context of life roles.
Brown’s choice of focus on work values and cultural values is related
to the identification of work values as a critical variable in career
development, and evidence that cultural values also play an important
role in career development (Brown, 2002, 2003)
• Individuals are exposed to different values throughout their lives from
many different sources, such as family, peers, environment and the media
(Patton & McMahon, 2006, 40).
• An individual’s cultural background, gender, socioeconomic status affect
the type of opportunities and experiences they encounter.
• There is variation of values both within and between subgroups of
society.
 Role of values in the Career Decision -Making Process
(Brown & Crace, 1996)
1. Work values that are high in priority are the most important determinants of
choice from among alternatives.
2. An individual’s value system is learned from the society they grow up in, and thus
this society is of great influence when career decisions are made.
3. Culture, sex and socioeconomic status affect the opportunities an individual is
offered.
4. Choices that are in line with an individual’s values is essential to career
satisfaction.
5. Life Satisfaction is the result of role interaction.
6. An individual’s level of functioning correlates with their values; high- functioning
individuals have crystallized and prioritized values.
7. Success in any role depends on the abilities required to perform the role’s
functions
 Propositions of Brown’s Values-Based Theory
1. Highly prioritized work values are the most important determinant of career choice from people
who value individualism.
2. Individuals who hold collective social values and come from families who hold the same values
defer to the wishes of the family in occupational decision-making.
3. When taken individually, cultural values regarding activity do not constrain the occupational
decision-making process.
4. Males, females, and people from differing cultural groups enter occupations at varying rates.
5. The process of choosing an occupation value involves a series of estimates.
6. Occupational success is related to job-related skills acquired in formal and informal educational
settings, job-related aptitudes and skills, SES, preparation in the work role, and the extent to which
discrimination is experienced.
7. Occupational tenure os partially the result of the match between the cultural and work values of
worker, supervisors, and colleagues.

Fall, 2008 WED 466 – UNIT 4 7