A1 Alkuperäisartikkeli tieteellisessä aikakauslehdessä
Labour Market Demands, Employability and Authenticity (2021)

Nikunen, M. (2021). Labour Market Demands, Employability and Authenticity. Journal of Applied Youth Studies, 4(3), 205-220. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43151-021-00049-1

JYU-tekijät tai -toimittajat

Julkaisun tiedot

Julkaisun kaikki tekijät tai toimittajat: Nikunen, Minna

Lehti tai sarja: Journal of Applied Youth Studies

ISSN: 2204-9193

eISSN: 2204-9207

Julkaisuvuosi: 2021

Ilmestymispäivä: 21.07.2021

Volyymi: 4

Lehden numero: 3

Artikkelin sivunumerot: 205-220

Kustantaja: Springer Science and Business Media LLC

Julkaisumaa: Singapore

Julkaisun kieli: englanti

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s43151-021-00049-1

Julkaisun avoin saatavuus: Avoimesti saatavilla

Julkaisukanavan avoin saatavuus: Osittain avoin julkaisukanava

Julkaisu on rinnakkaistallennettu (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/77217

Tiivistelmä

Finding employment has been a challenge for young adults in recent years. This is not only due to high unemployment rates, but also because entering working life is more complicated than before. It is no longer just a question of credentials and skills. ‘Employability’ depends on investments in personal capacities: labour market demands in recruitment exceed the capacity of employees’ bodies and minds. This article asks what demands for increasing one’s employability young adults (aged 18–30) experience in relation to their education and working life and how they respond to these ideas, especially to the idea of modifying their minds and bodies—habitus—in order to increase their employability. What demands are they complying with or resisting? How and why are they doing so? The article draws on interviews with 40 young Finnish women and men. The data analysis reveals that employability ideals emphasising affective and bodily capacities or dispositions are not shared by everyone. However, modifying one’s attitude or demeanour seems to be less threatening for young adults than does changing one’s appearance or body. Changes to one’s body are associated with rules and codes dictated from above, whereas changing one’s mindset is usually conceived of as self-development; thus, it is not seen as contrary to authenticity. Identification with a line of work is an important factor in accepting demands on one’s body or demeanour. It should be asked if the importance of authenticity for young adults entering working life should be taken into consideration in governmental youth and employment policies.

YSO-asiasanat: työelämä; työelämävalmiudet; vaatimukset; nuoret; nuoret aikuiset; työmarkkinat; työllistyminen; asenteet; haasteet (ongelmat); habitus; aitous; itsekasvatus

Vapaat asiasanat: employability; young adults; affective labour; authenticity; habitus

Liittyvät organisaatiot

OKM-raportointi: Kyllä

VIRTA-lähetysvuosi: 2021

JUFO-taso: 1