Career counsellors’ perspectives on educational mobility in Denmark

Abstract This article explores career guidance counsellors’ (GC) perspectives on their role in relation to social mobility, presenting a thematic analysis based on 14 in-depth interviews with Danish upper secondary school GCs and managers. The analysis included Watts’ typology on the socio-political function of career guidance and generated three perspectives on social mobility: (a) an upward mobility perspective, (b) an alternative mobility perspective and (c) an equality perspective. The implications for career counselling in upper secondary schools in Denmark are considered and possible avenues for further research on social mobility and social justice in career guidance are identified.