I would prefer not to: a qualitative investigation of adolescents’ perceptions of dirty work in Switzerland

Abstract

Defined as occupations, tasks, or roles perceived as disgusting or degrading, dirty work results from perceptions of a broad array of actors in society. This study aimed at identifying descriptors adolescents in Switzerland associate with dirty work. The originality of this study stems from investigating dirty work on the basis of adolescents’ perceptions, which represent an outsider group receptive to social norms, and thus informative of social stigmatizations. Responses of 225 adolescents to an open-ended question were analyzed using a consensual qualitative research-modified approach. Participants associated dirty work with adverse working conditions, adverse employment conditions, negative social images, and negative well-being outcomes.