Working to live,not living to work: Work,leisure and youth identity among call centre workers in North East England

Abstract

Spanish

French

Recent debate has questioned the centrality of work in everyday life. Using evidence drawn from participant observation in a call centre and interviews with young call centre workers, this article suggests that, in locales characterized by insecure labour markets dominated by low-paid service sector jobs, work no longer serves to define individual identity. When the idea of a job for life disappears and fragmented work careers become normal, individuals look beyond their working life to frame their identity and attach meaning and significance to their existence. Analysis of the data provides an opportunity to critically explore Bourdieu’s concept of habitus; the notion of a working-class habitus must be re-examined in the face of a postmodern culture thoroughly attuned to the principles of consumer capitalism and neoliberal ideology. What constitutes a ‘new’ working-class habitus when work, typified here by call centre work, fails to impact on identity formation?

Keywords

Call centres habitus identity labour markets work

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