Description
Book SynopsisOur jobs are often a big part of our identities, and when we are fired, we can feel confused, hurt, and powerless - at sea in terms of who we are. Drawing on extensive, real-life interviews,
Job Loss, Identity, and Mental Health shines a light on the experiences of unemployed, middle-class professional men and women, showing how job loss can affect both identity and mental health.
Trade Review"Norris’s work is an accessible and engaging exploration of the effects that involuntary job loss has on people’s identities and their psychological health. Both informative and comprehensive,
Job Loss, Identity, and Mental Health is a well written and very worthwhile book." -- Tim Strangleman * professor of sociology, University of Kent, UK *
"This book offers a poignant assessment of the social-psychological consequences of unemployment. Using longitudinal in-depth interviews, Norris shows the profound costs of unemployment for middle-class workers. She also thoughtfully illuminates the importance of gender in the experience of joblessness. Recommended!" -- Annette Lareau * Stanley I. Sheerr Professor, University of Pennsylvania *
"Norris’ book is a theoretically rich, well-written, and well-researched addition to the sociological study of employment and health" -- Jeremy Staff, Department of Sociology and Criminology, Pennsylvania State University * SAGE Publications - Work and Occupations *
"A theoretically rich, well-written, and well-researched addition to the sociological study of employment and health." * Work and Occupations *
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments1 Introduction2 Why Identity?3 “That’s Not the Way We Do It at Gentay”: Feedback Mismatches4 “I Wasn’t the Same Person”: Time Mismatches5 “Me Caveman . . . I Club Deer”: Status Mismatches6 “On the Mommy Track”: Shifting7 “It Was Like I Was Still Working”: Sustaining8 “Like You’re Dead and Nobody Told You”: Identity Void9 ConclusionAppendix A: MethodologyAppendix B: Additional ConsiderationsNotesReferencesIndex
