Employability & Competences

From Firenze University Press Book

Edited by:

Vanna Boffo, University of Florence

Monica Fedeli, University of Padua

There are only three published studies that investigated the role of others in the development of a calling, and all these studies focused on the
development of a calling for the music domain (Dobrow, Tosti-Kharas
2012; Dobrow 2006, 2013). Dobrow (2006) found that parents’ involvement in the arts had a positive effect on students’ initial calling for the
music domain. Dobrow and Tosti-Kharas (2012) investigated the relationship between calling and students’ receptivity to the advice, provided
by a mentor, which discourages them from pursuing a professional path
in their calling domain. They found that calling reduces the effect of
the discouraging advice, so that students with a higher calling are more
likely to ignore negative career-related advice provided by their private
music teacher. This result was replicated in a cross-sectional study that
involved a sample of business students.

In 2013, Dobrow investigated the role of social comfort in the development of a calling. Social comfort in the music domain measures the
extent to which students enjoy spending time with other musicians, and
it was found to have a positive effect on initial calling and a small negative effect on its development over time. Finally, Dalla Rosa, Vianello,
and Anselmi (Unpublished manuscript), found that social support provided by friends, family and a special person helps students to develop
their calling. Taken together, these results suggest that a calling is not
only an intraindividual phenomenon. There is evidence of a connection
between the intimate experience of having a calling and relationships
with others and the social context (Dobrow, 2006, 2013; Dobrow, Tosti-Kharas 2012). Indeed, participants in qualitative studies commonly
mentioned the supportive role of others as a factor that influences the
emergence of a calling (Duffy et al. 2012; French, Domene 2010). The
effect of social comfort and support on calling suggests that the enjoyment and pleasure in being around others, and the presence of people
with whom students can discuss their problems and who are willing to
comfort and encourage them fosters calling development. However, we
do not know whether these positive effects on calling are due to the mere
presence of people willing to support or whether these persons may also
represent a role and attitude model.

The study conducted by Dobrow and Tosti-Kharas in 2012 was the
first to focus on the role of a mentor and suggested that having a strong
calling is associated with greater willingness to ignore negative career
advice on time. However, this study did not investigate the specific effect of having a mentor in the development of a calling. Thus, the role
of the social context in the development of calling is still unclear.

DOI: 10.36253/978–88–6453–672–9

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