Collins, H (2024) The confluence of two rivers: the impact of social capital on the experience of work precariousness. Doctoral thesis, Liverpool John Moores University.

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Abstract

Grounded in a phenomenological paradigm of enquiry about precarious work and its impact on workers in the Northwest of Britain, this research study seeks to understand if workers can re-construct the influences of precarious work through two questions. First, can workers re-construct the (negative) influences of precarious work on their lives? If so, what enables them to do this? This research views precariousness as relational and changeable rather than fixed. and examines how reconstructing the precarious experience draws on the support of social groups in general, and social capital in particular, to support fulfilling work identities. Through a focus on the role of social capital, I challenge assumptions that precarious work has an entirely negative impact on workers and draw attention to the often-hidden acts of informal and collective resistance that can alter the precarious experience in positive ways. By bringing together social capital and precarity I demonstrate how precariousness is reproduced, making life tolerable on a day-to-day basis, yet trapping individuals in precarious roles. The body of work contributes to the literature on precariousness through four interrelated contributions: a holistic theorisation of precarity and social capital; ripple effects of precarity; phenomenon that create and reproduce precarity; and community and collective action and resistance. The conclusion examines the above contributions and suggests areas for future research. To meet the grand challenge of precariousness more insights around the antecedents and consequences of precariousness are needed; above all, what ties them together and enables the identification of moderating elements to inform the ‘happy precariat’.

Item Type:	Thesis (Doctoral)
Uncontrolled Keywords:	social capital; precarious work; Roma
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HF Commerce > HF5001 Business
Divisions:	Business & Management (from Sep 19)
SWORD Depositor:	A Symplectic
Date Deposited:	05 Sep 2024 15:33
Last Modified:	05 Sep 2024 15:33
DOI or ID number:	10.24377/LJMU.t.00024068
Supervisors:	Cronshaw, S and Jones, R
URI:	https://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/24068

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