Khaschenko, T. G. Psychological Assistance of Economic Identity Formation in the Process of Professional Development at a Discipline- Specific University

Abstract: There is a growing need in psychological assistance of economic identity formation in the process of professional development due to the increasing complexity and dynamism of the economic environment of human life and activities in a modern world. The relation between one’s professional choice and one’s search for an optimal position and form of existence in the system of economic relations as well as the connection between professional functioning and economic identity, economic status and economic well-being require a detailed study of professional and economic identity formation as the two elements of one process. The subject under review is the peculiarities of psychological assistance of the economic identity formation of students in the process of their professional development at discipline-specific universities. Methodological basis of the theoretical research is the systems approach and subject-activity approach. Conclusions made by the researcher are based on the summarization of a great number of theoretical insights and practical researches in the sphere of professional and economic identity formation as well as on the analysis of the theory and practice of psychological assistance at modern universities. The summary of scientific data allows to make a conclusion that despite their close relation and general ‘basic’ personality determinants (such as one’s attitude to the world, to himself, to human community, one’s life goals, values, ambitions and so on), the processes of professional and economic identity formation are not identical by their content. This must be taken into account when developing the methods and practice of psychological assistance at a discipline-specific university and making relevant psychotechnological solutions. However, there are certain difficulties caused by the multiple interpretations of the relation between the terms ‘professional identity formation’ and ‘economic identity formation’ (due to the fact that for a long time those phenomena were either studied independently from one another or their relation was analyzed fragmentarily. On the other hand, researches and guidelines in the sphere of psychological assistance of students mostly focus on their professional or personality identity but not economic identity. The novelty of the author’s approach to the problem is in viewing economic personality as the main determinant of economic identity formation and substantiation of psychological conditions for the development of economic identity of students in terms of psychological assistance of their professional development at a discipline-specific university.

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