Precarious work, entrepreneurial mindset and sense of place: female strategies in insecure labour markets

Abstract

This article discusses the uncertainty of working life by providing a viewpoint of one individual’s experience of it. The article argues that entrepreneurship and employment are forms of income that are not separate from each other; instead, in precarious labour markets, individuals can alternate between the two. An entrepreneurial mindset and practices are required from the self-employed and employees alike, but neither form of livelihood ensures a permanent income. Though in different ways, the process of precariatisation touches many groups of people, and the varying alternatives for navigating this situation are deconstructed here. The analysis discusses how surviving precarious labour markets and uncertain income requires a lot of endurance and self-governance as illustrated by an in-depth interview with a woman who lives in a remote area. The analysis also proves that the opportunity to remain in a place of residence and establish a sense of belonging has a significant impact on an individual’s ability to experience everyday pleasure and permanence, especially when everything else around them is changing in ways over which they have little control.