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Recognition and gendered identity constructions in labour activation
Author(s) -
Hansen Helle Cathrine
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
international journal of social welfare
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.664
H-Index - 47
eISSN - 1468-2397
pISSN - 1369-6866
DOI - 10.1111/ijsw.12294
Subject(s) - affect (linguistics) , norwegian , identity (music) , value (mathematics) , qualitative research , social psychology , exploratory research , perspective (graphical) , psychology , social identity theory , sociology , gender studies , social group , social science , linguistics , philosophy , physics , communication , machine learning , artificial intelligence , computer science , acoustics
Few studies have considered how labour activation programmes affect participants’ identity construction, particularly from a gender comparison perspective. Using qualitative data and recognition theories, this exploratory study of the Norwegian Qualification Program examined how gender may affect labour activation recipients’ identity construction and sense of social value. The findings suggest that women experience labour activation as an enabling process, facilitating an enhanced sense of social value and status. In contrast, men experience either no such change or a diminution of their sense of worth and status. The study shows how cultural values regarding gender, work and employment are embedded in social work practice and activation policy implementation. Underscoring how activation may be intertwined in such cultural values and norms, the study calls for further research to understand these processes, as they may affect outcomes in labour activation policy.