3 - Theoretical Perspectives on Success

Summary

Chapter 3 explores the concept of success. It looks at simple definitions of success, such as the accomplishment of an aim or purpose or achievement of a goal. However, the complexity of the concept is also considered: one person’s view of success may be very different from another’s even within the same contexts. Career success is the focus of the chapter, and this can be conceptualised in two ways: from a personal perspective (job satisfaction) and from a societal perspective (wages earned or qualifications achieved). This provides an opportunity to discuss issues of job satisfaction and goodness of fit between an individual’s abilities/characteristics and the requirements of their job. An overview of the literature relevant to career success is included to provide a background to consider the relevance of these views to the success of dyslexic people. The literature on successful dyslexics is also considered. The chapter discusses the development of expertise and issues related to self-efficacy and confidence in job performance. This will provide an opportunity to discuss issues related to self-understanding, metacognition and planning, as well as goal setting.