Lärande i arbetslivets övergångar

Over the course of the last few decades, work-life has changed and now includes a higher degree of instability and insecurity. This thesis takes this change as its starting point, aiming to understand the ways in which individuals manage involuntary work-life transitions at the workplace, in terms of learning.

The study has a longitudinal focus, based on interviews of twelve people who used to work at the same plant. Seven of the interviewees were laid off during the financial crisis of 2008, five of them were not laid off, but continued their employment throughout the crisis. Theoretically, the approach is a combination of a pragmatic learning perspective, through which learning is seen as a kind of problem-solving activity, and a narrative perspective that provides tools with which to view stories as carriers of meaning.

The results show that insecurity is accepted by many as a non-negotiable part of work-life. Work-life is in many aspects affected by market globalisation the discourse of employability, where the individual bears the responsibility for their personal work-life. By preparing as best they can to be financially, socially and employability-wise well equipped, the interviewees do what they can to minimize the negative effects of the bad times that are bound to come at some point. Across time, many of the interviewees are moving between different approaches to dealing with the insecurity of work-life. In the process of making meaningful strategic choices, they are involved in learning. Experience and future plans play a role in which choices are made, and thereby also form the route that is constructed by each individual as they navigate between different points in their work-life.

The final discussion aims at pointing out the effects an insecure work-life impose on people. People tell stories of acceptance towards the instability of work-life, not because they find work-life satisfying or well-functioning, but because they need to. In order to match the qualifications of an employable individual, they cannot oppose it. In doing so they would automatically define themselves as not so flexible, not so employable. This is a result of learning in work-life transitions.