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Some Voices from Italian Youth on Well-Being: How to Cope with Job Insecurity?

Author

Listed:
  • Rosy Musumeci

    (Department of Cultures, Politics and Society, University of Turin, 10153 Turin, Italy)

  • Chiara Ghislieri

    (Department of Psychology, University of Turin, 10124 Turin, Italy)

Abstract

’Insecure’ jobs and alternating between periods of unemployment and periods of employment under fixed-term contracts are increasingly widespread among the youth in Europe. This phenomenon is an important risk factor for young people’s well-being. Despite the growing number of studies, some issues have still not been adequately addressed. Compared to the high number of quantitative studies, the number of qualitative researches is limited: in fact, few studies have tackled this topic from a qualitative standpoint, highlighting the dynamics and the subjective processes which operate in this relationship and considering the different functions that work can have for the individual. Another aspect that has not been adequately dealt with is represented by the coping strategies that young people put in place to deal with job insecurity, and which have consequences on their well-being. The present article on the Italian case is intended to give a contribution in these directions. In particular, it analyses the way in which a group of 40 unemployed or temporarily employed young people, in-depth interviewed, subjectively describe the relationship between job insecurity and well-being, and reflects on coping strategies to face job insecurity and related perceived consequences. In doing this, the authors consider the role of individual factors, as well as of meso and macro ones, given that—for example—the national contexts have a role in influencing the way in which job insecurity is perceived and managed by individuals. The results highlight the complexity of this relationship, in which the intertwining of factors at different levels plays a very important role in determining the coping strategies and the overall well-being of people: individually, like the functions and the subjective meanings of work for the youth, but also in meso and macro terms, such as the familial support and relationships, and the institutional and public resources available.

Suggested Citation

  • Rosy Musumeci & Chiara Ghislieri, 2020. "Some Voices from Italian Youth on Well-Being: How to Cope with Job Insecurity?," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 9(4), pages 1-19, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jscscx:v:9:y:2020:i:4:p:58-:d:349179
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Monica Molino & Valentina Dolce & Claudio Giovanni Cortese & Chiara Ghislieri, 2018. "Personality and social support as determinants of entrepreneurial intention. Gender differences in Italy," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(6), pages 1-19, June.
    2. László, Krisztina D. & Pikhart, Hynek & Kopp, Mária S. & Bobak, Martin & Pajak, Andrzej & Malyutina, Sofia & Salavecz, Gyöngyvér & Marmot, Michael, 2010. "Job insecurity and health: A study of 16 European countries," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 70(6), pages 867-874, March.
    3. Marianna Giunchi & Anne-Marie Vonthron & Chiara Ghislieri, 2019. "Perceived Job Insecurity and Sustainable Wellbeing: Do Coping Strategies Help?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-18, February.
    4. Monica Molino & Claudio G. Cortese & Chiara Ghislieri, 2019. "Unsustainable Working Conditions: The Association of Destructive Leadership, Use of Technology, and Workload with Workaholism and Exhaustion," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-14, January.
    5. Esping-Andersen, Gosta, 1999. "Social Foundations of Postindustrial Economies," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780198742005.
    6. Rita Chiesa & Luca Fazi & Dina Guglielmi & Marco Giovanni Mariani, 2018. "Enhancing Substainability: Psychological Capital, Perceived Employability, and Job Insecurity in Different Work Contract Conditions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-10, July.
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    Cited by:

    1. Chiara Ghislieri & Domenico Sanseverino & Valentina Dolce & Paola Spagnoli & Amelia Manuti & Emanuela Ingusci & Tindara Addabbo, 2023. "Emotional Exhaustion and Engagement in Higher Education Students during a Crisis, Lessons Learned from COVID-19 Experience in Italian Universities," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 12(2), pages 1-17, February.
    2. Annie Irvine & Nikolas Rose, 2024. "How Does Precarious Employment Affect Mental Health? A Scoping Review and Thematic Synthesis of Qualitative Evidence from Western Economies," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 38(2), pages 418-441, April.
    3. Hussain Zaid H Alsharif & Tong Shu & Bojan Obrenovic & Danijela Godinic & Ashraf Alhujailli & Alisher Makhmudovich Abdullaev, 2021. "Impact of Entrepreneurial Leadership and Bricolage on Job Security and Sustainable Economic Performance: An Empirical Study of Croatian Companies during COVID-19 Pandemic," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-19, October.

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