Conclusion

Abstract

The core of this book has been the oral testimonies of work and workers in three different occupations. These testimonies were situated and understood in their particular social, collective and occupational formations, institutions and traditions. Out of our findings we argue that these individual narratives of work and identity contest ideological generalisations and the dominant ‘grand-narratives’ on the changing role work plays in people’s lives and its place in the shaping of individual and collective identities. Consequently a more complex and detailed account of the historical and contemporary significance of work has shown that these experiences still figure in fundamental ways as a site of identification, in the lives of most of the men and women with whom we spoke.

She said, I can’t imagine you teaching in a class, she sees me on a Saturday night, all having a great time. And then she was just absolutely gob smacked. She said, you know, I really am envious of the satisfaction you get from your job. (Sophie, 26, teacher)

The whole ethos now? Debt. I mean you wouldn’t have dreamed those days of getting somebody into debt! You know I think the whole ethos of the industry has changed, to a sales environment and not a service environment. It’s a case of you’ll have what we give you [customers] and not what you actually want. (Glennys, bank worker, 59)

Am I happy I joined the railways? Well, like anything, sometimes, especially if it’s cold and don’t like getting up doing shift work sometimes, but on the whole yes, I do like it a lot. (Samuel railway guard, 48)