Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

The Social Dynamics of Labor Market Inclusion

2020; Linköping University Electronic Press; Linguagem: Inglês

10.3384/diss.diva-171408

0345-0082

Lena Strindlund,

Housing, Finance, and Neoliberalism

Labor market inclusion is a complex assignment that takes place through a dynamic interaction between unemployed individuals from vulnerable groups, several authority actors and employers.The overall aim of this thesis was to explore the social dynamics of labor market inclusion, with a particular focus on integration, from the perspectives of employers and authority actors.Three empirical studies have been conducted focusing on different perspectives and integration challenges, using various forms of qualitative methods and theoretical approaches.Study I was a qualitative phenomenographic interview study of employers' perspectives on labor market inclusion and intersectoral integration.The study showed that employers' views are multifaceted and can be categorized as constrained, independent, and conditional, and can be understood through a complex internal relationship between conceived individual-, workplace-and authority-related aspects in relation to the themes of trust, contribution, and support (paper I).Study II was a two-year longitudinal case study of an interorganizational integration project, focusing on the authority actors' perspectives.Through ethnographic fieldwork and a practice-theory approach, two divergent rationalities (an empowerment rationality and a coordinating rationality) were identified within the project organization, and four central concepts were highlighted -communication, trust, structure, and steering -contributing to a collapse in integration (paper II).The dysfunctional group processes were further analyzed with the theory of negative effects of social capital and shadow organizing, summarized as three social dynamics: insulation, homogenization, and escalating commitment (paper III).Study III was a one-year longitudinal case study of a municipal intraorganizational integration project focusing on the perspectives of both authority actors and municipal employers.This study combined ethnographic field work with the theory of social representations, which visualized three different representations among the different professional groups -individual-, employer-, and political-oriented -which contributed to creating tensions within the project, identified as incomprehension, power struggles, expectation gaps, and distrust (paper IV).By studying two labor market inclusion projects through shadow organizing, the thesis has revealed a complex and dynamic interplay between the various views of the actors involved, as well as social processes within P-O, the love of my life, for your love and humor.My beloved children, Jasmine, Jack, Nikki, and Dexter, for just being you.You are and always will be my number one priority.I look forward to following you on life's paths and detours.