Stories of Courage Among Emerging Adults in Precarious Work

Abstract

Young precarious workers are increasingly exposed to forms of discrimination, inequality, and poverty; therefore, it is crucial to listen to their voices and increase their awareness of the characteristics of decent work. We examined stories of courage among 40 emerging adult precarious workers using a hybrid, qualitative approach involving a thematic analysis through which two independent researchers generated deductive and inductive codes. Our participants’ stories of courage provide an account of the social and cultural costs of neoliberal development, revealing how systematic processes of privilege and discrimination influence emerging adults’ experiences and courageous actions. The results highlight that precarious young workers do not experience dignified work conditions and may experience injustice and discrimination in work contexts. Our study has important theoretical and practical implications for research and practice and confirms narrative career counseling's value to investigate working conditions of today's youth.