Self-Employment Experiences of Young Graduates: New Forms of Professional (in)Dependence

Authors

  • Ana Paula Marques Department of Sociology, University of Minho, Senior Researcher in the Interdisciplinary Centre of Social Sciences (CICS.NOVA) University of UMinho, Portugal

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.26417/ejser.v6i2.p97-106

Keywords:

Higher Education; Graduates; Self-employment; (In)dependence and Insecurity

Abstract

In recent decades, self-employment has been considered a central issue regarding labour market opportunities and individual choices. However, self-employment experiences of young graduates reveal increasing insecurity that characterises the precariousness of current labour relations. In this paper, we intend to reflect critically on the concepts of self-employment, entrepreneurship/creation of businesses, taking into account the main arguments arising from the crisis of employment regulations. This paper aims to support in some research evidence based on an extensive survey applied in two public universities in Portugal (N 1004). Our focus will be on personal profiles of self-employed graduates, as well as the "oppositions" which structure their professional relations of independence/ dependence. In this regard, it is suggested that we are witnessing a reconfiguration of the professional patterns of transition from higher education into the labour market which integrate traits of individualisation and autonomy as well as uncertainty and vulnerability. However, for a comprehensive approach to the self-employment thematic, additional research is still needed in order to shed further light on the understanding of the labour market as one of the main facets of social and socio-economic insecurity and risks in contemporary European societies.

References

Alves, M. G., Alves, N. & Chaves, M. (2012). “Inserção profissional e razões de ingresso e reingresso no ensino superior: um ponto de partida para uma temática em aberto”, Sociologia, Problemas e Práticas, nº 60, (pp. 99-118).

Antunes, R. (2013). Os Sentidos do Trabalho Ensaio sobre a afirmação e a negação do trabalho,Lisboa: Almedina.

Archer, W. & Davidson, J. (2008). Graduate Employability: What do Employers think and want? London: The Council for Industry and Higher Education.

ASSUNÇÃO, F. (2008). “Do emprego à empresa? Uma reflexão sobre o auto-emprego, a pequena propriedade e o empreendedorismo”. Mundos Sociais. Saberes e Práticas, VI Congresso Português de Sociologia, Lisboa [http://www.aps.pt/vicongresso/pdfs/407.pdf]

Auer, P. (2005). “Protected Mobility for Employment and Decent Work: Labour Market Security in a Globalised World”, Employment Strategy Paper No. 5, Geneva: ILO

Auer, P. & Gazier, B. (2006). L’Introuvable Sécurité de l’Emploi, Paris: Flammarion.

Auer, P. & Cazes, S. (2000), “The resilience of the long-term employment relationship: Evidences from the industrialized countries”, International Labour Review, 139 (4):379-408.

Barbier, J.-C., Brygoo, A. & Viguier, F. (2002). Defining and assessing precarious employment in Europe: a review of main studies and surveys. A tentative approach to precarious employment in France, Paris: Centre d’Etudes de l’Emploi.

Beck, U. (2000). Un nuevo mundo feliz. La precaried del trabajo en la era de la globalización, Barcelona: Piados.

Beck, U. (1992). Risk Society. Towards a New Modernity, London: Sage.

Beck, U., Beck-Gernsheim, E. (2003). La individualización: el individualismo institucionalizado y sus consecuencias sociales y políticas,Barcelona: Paidós Ibérica Sage Publications.

Beck, U., Giddens, A. & Lash, S. (1994). Modernização reflexiva. Política, tradição e estética na ordem social moderna, Oeiras: Celta Editora.

Boheim, R. & Muehlberger, U. (2006). Dependent Forms of Self-employment in the UK: Identifying Workers on the Border between Employment and Self-employment, IZA Discussion Paper Nº. 1963

Brannen, J, Lewis, S., Nilsen, A. & Smithson, J. (eds) (2002). Young Europeans, Work and Family: futures in transition, London: Routledge

Burchell, B. J., Deakin, D. & Honey, S. (1999). The Employment Status of Individuals in Non-Standard Employment, 6, London: Department of Trade and Industry EMAR.

Castel, R. (1995). Les métamorphoses de la question sociale. Une chronique du salariat,Paris: Fayard.

Célestin, J.-B. (2000). As Novas Formas de Emprego Atípicas. Reflexões sobre o caso Francês, 23, Ministério do Trabalho e da Solidariedade/ Direcção Geral do Emprego e Formação Profissional e Comissão Interministerial para o Emprego.

Dornelas, A., Oliveira, L., L. Veloso &. Guerreiro, M.D (orgs.). Portugal Invisível, Lisboa : Editora Mundos Sociais.

Dubar, C. (2000). La crise des identités. L’interprétation d’une mutation. Paris: PUF.

Esping-Andersen, G. & Regini, M. (eds) (2000) Why Deregulate Labour Markets?, Oxford: Oxford University Press.

European Commission (2013). European Commission Employment and social developments in Europe 2012 (ESDE) review, Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union.

Felstead, A. & Jewson, N. (1999). Global Trends in Flexible Work, London: Macmillan Press Lda.

Freire, J. (1995). O Trabalho Independente em Portugal, Lisboa: CIES-ISCTE.

Freire, J. (1994). “O auto-emprego: alguns comentários sobre dados recentes”, Revista Crítica de Ciências Sociais, CES, Nº 40, pp.137-151.

Freyssinet, J. (1991). Le chômage, Paris: La Découverte.

Gonçalves, C. M., Menezes, I. & Martins, M. C. (2009). Transição para o trabalho dos licenciados da Universidade do Porto (2006-2007), Porto: Universidade do Porto.

Guerreiro, M. D. & Abrantes, P (2004). Transições incertas. Os jovens perante o trabalho e a família, Estudos n.º 2, Lisboa: Comissão para a Igualdade no Trabalho e no Emprego.

Humburg, M., Van der Velden, R. & Verhagen, A. (2013). The Employability of Higher Education Graduates: The Employers’ Perspective, Final report: European Union.

ILO (2006). The Employment Relationship: report V(1), Geneva: International Labour Office.

Kovács, I. (2005). Flexibilidade de Emprego: riscos e oportunidades, Oeiras: Celta Editora.

Kretsos, L. (2010). “The persistent pandemic of precariousness: Young people at work”, In J. Tremmel (Ed.), A young generation under pressure? New York: Springer:pp. 3-22.

Marques, A. P. (2007). MeIntegra - Mercados e estratégias de inserção profissional. Licenciados versus empresas da Região Norte. Relatório final, Universidade do Minho, URL: http://hdl.handle.net/1822/8633.

Marques, A. P. (2010). “‘Sacralização’ do mercado de trabalho. Jovens diplomados sob o signo da precariedade”, Revista Configurações 7 (pp. 65-89), Braga: CICS, Universidade do Minho.

Marques, A. P. (2013). “Empregabilidade e (novos) riscos pro-fissionais Brandão”, in A.M. Marques & A. P. (Org.), Jovens, Trabalho e Cidadania: Que Sentidos? (pp. 20-34), Ebook: CICS/ Univer-sidade do MinhoISBN 978-989-96335-1-3. [Online]. Available: http://www.lasics.uminho.pt/ojs/index.php/cics_ebooks/issue/view/123.

Marques, A. P. & Alves, M. G. (2010). Inserção profissional de graduados em Portugal. (Re)configurações teóricas e empíricas, V. N. Famalicão: Húmus.

Marques, A.P. & Moreira, R. (2011a). Empreendedorismo na Universidade do Minho. O potencial empreendedor dos diplomados do ensino superior numa perspetiva educativa. Actas do II Encontro de Sociologia da Educação, Organização: Instituto de Sociologia FLUP. Departamento Sociologia FLUP: Universidade do Porto, [URL http://repositorium.sdum.uminho.pt/bitstream/1822/15247/4/ACTAS%28Educa%c3%a7%c3%a3o_2011%29.pdf]

MAarques, A.P. & Moreira, R. (2011b). Transição para o mercado de trabalho: empreendedorismo numa perspectiva de género. Atas do XVII Encontro Nacional de SIOT – Emprego e Coesão Social: Crise de regulação e hegemonia da globalização,APSIOT. Lisboa: Edição em Cd-Rom, [URL. http://repositorium.sdum.uminho.pt/bitstream/1822/17766/1/Transi%c3%a7%c3%a3o%20para%20o%20mercado%20de%20trabalho.pdf]

Muller, W. & Gangl, M. (eds) (2003). Transitions from Education to Work in Europe: The Integration of Youth into EU Labour Markets, Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Navarro, M. L. (2005). Precarious Employment in Europe: A Comparative Study of Labour Market related Risks in Flexible Economies. ESOPE. Final report, Brussel: European Commission, DG Research, V Framework Programme, Accessed November, 2014, 8, ftp://ftp.cordis.europa.eu/pub/citizens/docs/kina21250ens_final_esope.pdf

Paugam, S. (2000). Le Salarié de la Précarité, Paris: PUF.

PORDATA (2013, 2015). Pordata - Base de Dados Portugal Contemporâneo, available at http://www.pordata.pt/Home (last access 2015, February).

Sennett, R. (1998). The Corrosion of Character: The Personal Consequences of Work in the New Capitalism, New York: W.W. Norton.

Teichler, U. (2009). Higher Education and the World of Work: Conceptual Frameworks, Comparative Perspectives, Empirical Findings, Rotterdan: Sense Publishers.

Teichler, U. (2007). Careers of University Graduates. Views and Experiences in Comparative Perspectives, London: Springer

Tomlison, M. (2009). Higher Education and Graduate Employability, VDM Publishing.

Tomlison, M. (2012). “Graduate employability: A Review of Conceptual ad Empirical Themes”, Higher Education Policy, 25 (407-431).

Tomlison, M. (2013). Education, Work and Identity. Themes and Perspectives, Bloomsbury Academic.

Vieira, D. & Marques, A.P. (2014). Preparados para Trabalhar? Um estudo com diplomados do ensino superior e empregadores, Lisboa: Maior Empregabilidade/POAT FSE.

Downloads

Published

2016-12-30

How to Cite

Paula Marques, A. (2016). Self-Employment Experiences of Young Graduates: New Forms of Professional (in)Dependence. European Journal of Social Science Education and Research, 3(3), 102–115. https://doi.org/10.26417/ejser.v6i2.p97-106