Self-Worth Through Expertise: Experiences of Prime-Age Men Who are Out of the Formal Labor Force

Abstract

ABSTRACT Research on masculinity finds that men who are socioeconomically excluded or otherwise marginalized may create subcultures that eschew the values of mainstream society, such as by valuing and engaging in heavy drinking, fighting, bar culture, sports, and crime, as well as rejecting school success; recent discussions have also examined the rejection of expertise and experts as a related backlash to mainstream institutions. Using in-depth interview data, the present study examines how rural, prime-age men (n = 61) who are out of the labor force develop a sense of their own value without formal employment and the role expertise plays in them doing so. Most claim expertise and do so constructively, as they assert a positive sense of their own worth through their knowledge and skills (“I am a person who can … ”). Men make claims to the dignity of holding expertise while outside institutionalized employment roles. This suggests the portability of this cultural tool and that its use is not contingent on institutional endorsements. Men’s self-identity of expertise could be challenged in formal employment settings, making formal work less attractive to them. To understand labor force participation, our focus must go beyond compensation to attend to how work opportunities are aligned or in conflict with men’s identities.