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Unemployment and self‐conception: A symbolic interactionist analysis
Author(s) -
Sheeran Paschal,
Abraham Charles
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
journal of community and applied social psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.042
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1099-1298
pISSN - 1052-9284
DOI - 10.1002/casp.2450040205
Subject(s) - symbolic interactionism , psychology , unemployment , social psychology , context (archaeology) , consistency (knowledge bases) , interactionism , the symbolic , developmental psychology , sociology , social science , psychotherapist , paleontology , geometry , mathematics , economics , biology , economic growth
A symbolic interactionist analysis of the relationship between unemployment and self‐conception was tested using a cross‐sectional questionnaire design ( n = 88). Job loss had significant negative associations with reflected appraisals (perceived evaluations) from friends, family, employers, unemployed people and people in general. Significant relationships between reflected appraisals and the evaluative, consistency and involvement dimensions of self‐concept were also observed. Consistent with symbolic interactionist theory, path analysis showed that reflected appraisals mediated the relationship between employment status and self‐conception. Unemployment duration and gender both moderated the effects of reflected appraisal upon self‐conception such that reflected appraisals were associated with different self‐concept dimensions for unemployed men versus unemployed women and ‘shorter’ versus ‘longer‐term’ unemployed people. Results are discussed in the context of recent developments in the social psychology of the self‐concept. Suggestions for future research are outlined.