Abstract

MEDOR BERTHO, Ducange. Self-employed in the absence of anything better? A critical review to the job insecurity discourse based on the experience of a group of independent workers. Nóesis, Rev. cienc. soc. [online]. 2020, vol.29, n.57, pp.88-114.  Epub Mar 03, 2021. ISSN 2395-8669.  https://doi.org/10.20983/noesis.2020.1.5.

This article offers a critical review of the abusive use of the notion of precariousness in labor studies during the last decades. The limitations of this notion are attributed, among other reasons, to the ignorance of certain currently observable metamorphoses in respect to the attitudes of a category of individuals towards salaried labor. Based on obtained research data from semi-structured interviews and observations from information and audiovisual technology’s entrepreneurs or independents, findings show the limitation of this notion to account working conditions of these professionals, since they relate labor to values different than stability, security and good remuneration, former fordist industrial employment foundations. “Postmaterialist” values such as horizontality, camaraderie, share, autonomy, cooperation, collaboration, etc., shape the vision and relationship of these individuals with labor.

Keywords : job insecurity; self-employment; entrepreneurship; autonomy; cooperation.