Biographical meanings of work: the case of a Polish freelancer

Abstract

<jats:p>The sociological analyses of contemporary society mostly emphasize its liquid and flexible character, which provides new opportunities, but also threats, on both the macro and individual level. The incoherence of the present times could, however, also be perceived as the interference of various social orders that have been described by scholars as “premodernity,” “modernity” and “postmodernity.” In Poland, these tensions are particularly acute because of the collision of the regimes of modernity, postmodernity and elements of traditional culture that are still more visible than in the West. The aim of this paper is to present the relationships between two of the above-mentioned orders: modernity and postmodernity in the sphere of work, with reference to the biographical structure of an individual’s experience. An empirical example of these tensions is demonstrated in the autobiographical story of Piotr, a freelance business psychologist. The article’s first part focuses on the theoretical framework and methodology that were applied while investigating the biographical manifestations of the clashes between these orders. The second part includes a detailed analysis of the narrator’s life story, linking the psychological and sociological perspectives. Furthermore, two meanings of work and their implications for the given case are presented. Finally, the analyzed interview is discussed in a broader perspective, in comparison to other cases.</jats:p>

A Career in IT? The Meanings of a Career at Business Process Outsourcing Centers in Poland from a Biographical Perspective

“…Those three types are as follows: (1) a focus on economic and social stability, (2) a focus on personal growth-such as a transition period in a career, and (3) a focus on personal growth-becoming an expert in IT. Moreover, the biographical analysis allowed the author to note three (sub- Although the research on biographical meanings of work at multinational corporations in Poland (Biały 2015;Haratyk, Biały, and Gońda 2017;Gońda 2019) suggests that inherent socio-economic conditions given by this type of employer facilitate achieving occupational and biographical stability, it seems that among IT specialists who have been interviewed, it is pertinent only to those narrators who have families and strive to anchor their careers in one company, or those who are trying to achieve stability due to biographical events that generated suffering and chaos in their lives. Their narratives focus on economic and social stability.…”

“…In addition to the above, there is research into the biographies and work experience of professionals employed at multinational corporations in Poland (Haratyk, Biały, and Gońda 2017). The findings suggest that while professionals have the socio-economic conditions to acquire, for example, biographical and occupational stability, it is not unconditional: they must consent to bridge the gap between the spheres of work and non-work in their lives (Gońda 2019).…”

Single, but not by Choice – On Deprivation of Relationships among Polish Corporate Employees

“…These interactions, although quite numerous, remain shallow and insignificant (cf. Haratyk, Biały, Gońda 2017). He is suspended between the need for belonging, for deep relations, and the superficiality of the external world, which cannot understand him.…”

Transnational Corporations as a Source of Career and Biographical Stabilisation: The Case of Polish Corporate Employees

“…They write of the phenomena of precariousness (Mrozowicki 2016), junk contract employment (Mrozowicki et al 2015), non-linear, fragmented career patterns (Domecka, Mrozowicki 2013;Róg-Ilnicka 2015), and "disenchantment" with flexibility (Strzelecki 2012;Giermanowska 2013). These features are differently experienced depending on the type of employment (unskilled or highly skilled workers, entrepreneurs, freelancers) (Domecka, Mrozowicki 2013;Haratyk et al 2017), generation (Poławski 2012) or position in the class structure (Strzelecki 2012;Gdula 2014). What seems not to have been studied throughout, however, is the nature of working in a corporate environment.…”