Identity Work Research Articles

Occupational exoskeletons: Supporting diversity and inclusion goals with technology

Occupational exoskeletons are wearable devices that can augment a human worker's physical abilities. They are designed to protect the worker from physical stress and strain due to physically demanding tasks. They are also designed to increase a worker's ability to perform these tasks with less effort or to accommodate tasks with greater physical loads. There is a labor shortage for many physically demanding jobs in manufacturing, construction, agriculture, and healthcare. Occupational exoskeletons may enable more women and older workers to qualify for these jobs. Literature reviews on occupational exoskeletons and workplace diversity and inclusion were conducted to explore how this technology can facilitate diversity and inclusion goals. Future research directions are discussed for exoskeleton design and how they might affect work identities and perceptions of organizational inclusion for women and older workers who pursue vocations in physically demanding work.

Work addiction and personality organization: Results from a representative, three-wave longitudinal study

Background: Several studies have explored the relationship between personality and work addiction, suggesting that individuals with certain mental disorders, including personality disorders such as obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD), may be more prone to work addiction. However, the characterization of personality organization (PO) among workaholics and its contribution to the persistence of work addiction remains unclear. Methods: In this longitudinal study of a representative sample of young adults (N = 1748), we applied the Bergen Work Addiction Scale and the Inventory of Personality Organization. Results: We found significant correlations between work addiction and identity diffusion, primitive psychological defenses, reality testing, and overall personality disorganization across three waves. A latent class growth analysis revealed three profiles: no work addiction, increasing work addiction, and constant moderate work addiction. Multinomial logistic regression analysis indicated that higher levels of personality disorganization in wave 1 and increases in personality disorganization between waves 1 and 3 were associated with higher odds of belonging to the increasing work addiction group. Similarly, higher overall personality disorganization in wave 1 was associated with higher odds of belonging to the constant moderate work addiction group. Conclusion: These findings suggest that individuals with chronic work addiction have lower levels of PO, and PO declines as work addiction persists. Screenings for work addiction are recommended to prevent potential mental health issues. Future research should explore the influence of workplace characteristics and work motivations on the association between work addiction and personality disorders.

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Abstract The article explains the processes involved in knowledge sharing and support giving in an open FB forum dedicated to endometriosis. It builds on the existing understanding of experiential knowledge, as well as adopts Jovchelovitch’s (2007) perspective on knowledge diversity and representation which views knowledge construction as an intersubjective process. The analysis looks at the what, the who, and the how of the community in question, focusing in particular on three areas: identity work (self- and other-categorisation); perspective sharing and recognition by “significant others”; and epistemic self-other positioning. The analysis determines the most common strategies of categorisation, identifies ways of constructing shared understanding, as well as reveals that the participants’ personal truths are based primarily on their embodied experience and hearsay.

‘Identity as work’: Water‐army and disability employment in digital China

AbstractThe proliferation of information and communication technologies (ICTs) over the past few decades has changed the world of work. Although extensive studies have discussed the impact of ICTs on work forms and labour relations, scarce attention has been paid to work–identity dynamics in digitally enabled contexts, let alone the issues faced by marginalised people such as disabled people. This article attempts to fill the gaps by examining the relationship between cyber work, identity, and disability in digital China. By analysing ‘water army’ (shuijun), a unique type of cyber work, the article proposes an ‘identity as work’ scenario that includes the production and commodification of identity as the work content, the development of a workable, in‐control identity as the most important return, and the organisation of work around the disability identity. The findings suggest a new and more complex interaction between (marginal) people's identity strategies and work‐related social norms.

Trends in social work education in Colombia: legacies of professional history

ABSTRACT This article presents the curricular trends of Social Work education in Colombia focusing on the legacy of the historical periods of the profession in Latin America: Traditional, Developmentalist, Reconceptualization and Post reconceptualization have on the conception of the curricula. Using the documentary review methodology, the social work curricula of eight Colombian public and private universities are analyzed. The authors discuss around three conclusions: 1. The professional identity in social work is mediated by the tension between historical moments and their diverse ethical and political positions. 2. It is relevant to recognize the legacy of the history of the profession of social work in Latin America in terms of reading the political and temporal context in each period. 3. There is evidence of a tendency to include themes that respond to the situated reading of the national context of the armed conflict, peace processes and migrations.

Factors Influencing Unsafe Behavior in Somber Small Industry Centers (SIKS) Using Logistic Regression Analysis

Tofu is a characteristic of Indonesian food, so it is not uncommon if this tofu food is found in Balikpapan City. Tofu is commonly produced in small and medium scale industries that are commonly found in the city of Balikpapan. The technology used in the tofu production process is still very simple, still uses human labor, and the process is less than optimal. The tofu production process begins with the washing, grinding, and pressing processes carried out by humans. This study aims to analyze the influence of the work environment and worker identity on Behavior Based Safety in the SIS tofu making industry. The population in this study is workers in SIKS somber totaling 32 workers from 14 home tofu production sites as for how to collect samples by direct observation and interviews with workers (response variables), namely unsafe behavior in the form of not wearing proper clothes while working (Y), and independent variables (predictors), namely a safe workplace environment (x1), Air Ventilation Conditions (X2) , Layout Conditions (X3), Working Duration (X4) Denoted 1 if > have worked for 3 months and 0 if < 3 months, worker status (X5), use of PPE in the form of boots (x6), educational status (x7) This study uses binary logistic regression analysis ?(x), where the workplace environment and workplace layout have the opportunity to have a significant influence on the unsafe behavior of workers (not wearing proper clothing) production workers know SIKS Somber.

Building legitimacy in flexible work projects: A study on institutional, organizational, and individual narratives

The purpose of this paper is to investigate legitimacy building narratives of project managers in flexible work projects and their articulation with institutional, organizational, and individual narratives. We use Greimas actantial model to analyze four case studies, collecting data from 27 interviews of project managers, employees and line managers as well as extensive secondary data. This study contributes to project management literature by identifying legitimacy building mechanisms that project managers use in their narratives: on one hand, they build on institutional and organizational narrative components to produce their own project narratives; on the other hand, they perform identity work through heroification to build their own legitimacy as project managers. We also show how some of these narratological components are challenged by other organizational actors (employees and line managers). On a methodological level, we also reflect on Greimas’ actantial model as a tool to analyze and compare project narratives at different levels and from different groups of actors.

Enabling digital transformation: Organizational implementation of the internet of things

With the steady increase in connectivity and the development of new dynamic, interconnected, and distributed technologies, management teams are seeing opportunities to digitally transform organizational processes. Following a case of Internet of Things (IoT) implementation, the aim of this paper is to explore the transformational potential of IoT and the mechanisms and processes that support or constrain IoT-enabled digital transformation in practice. Through a qualitative case study of an IoT implementation project over a period of two years, we show that IoT can create an opportunity for digital transformation by fundamentally changing organizational and individual perception of work identity and work practices. Furthermore, we show that successful IoT adoption requires proactive leadership that identifies and accounts for both technological capabilities and different stakeholder perspectives. To make use of IoT's capabilities and simultaneously mitigate the risk of privacy infringements one must leverage the role of the observer and the observed.

Liminal spaces and Hong Kong: Metaphors of crisis and identity

Periods of localised social unrest are increasing in frequency and are usually described in terms of crisis. Events that unfold during these periods are often recounted retrospectively once a sense of stability has emerged. In contrast, this article contributes an empirical analysis of identity work undertaken by a group of individuals amid an unfolding crisis by drawing on interview data collected in one Hong Kong University across December 2019 and January 2020. We frame our analysis with the concept of liminality which draws attention to the space or state of in-between-ness occupied by people as they navigate and work to transition from ‘before’ to ‘after’ a time of great change. We explore linguistic representations of liminality by analysing the use of metaphors in these interview narratives. Metaphors, in this context, are considered key markers of complex cognitive and psychological processing. Findings of this analysis indicate the dominance of (dis)orientation to time and uncertainty about the future which are associated with liminality and identity work.

Inner struggle or identity fit – control configurations that improve management accountants’ sense of their identity

PurposeThis study aims to investigate which configurations of organizational-level and group-level management controls support an identity fit for management accountants in the management accounting profession. It aims to complement recent qualitative management accounting research. This stream just begun to use role and identity theory to investigate role expectations, conflicts and coping strategies of management accountants when they struggle with their work identity.Design/methodology/approachBased on configuration theory, this study uses a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis to indicate all possible configurations of formal and informal management controls that improve management accountants’ sense of their identity in an organization. The analyses are based on the results of a cross-sectional survey of 277 management accountants from Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Liechtenstein.FindingsThe results show that a strong group culture and high psychological safety at the group level are relevant conditions for a high identity fit. Further, the configurations differ regarding the career stages of management accountants.Originality/valueThis study contributes to work identity research of management accountants and to research on formal and informal control configurations as a control package. It is of particular importance for various professions that are affected by role change, as from the findings on management accountants’ identity fit, implications can also be made for other organizational functions that need to engage in identity work.

Girls’ Reluctance and Intersectional Identities in STEM-Rich Makerspaces

Craft and e-textile circuits are technologies that bridge the gender gap in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) learning. Acknowledging the need to study girls’ underrepresentation in STEM, this article delves into the identity negotiations of four girls aged eleven to fourteen as they construct craft and e-textiles at a library makerspace. Qualitative analysis of their talk at the workshop found that several factors shaped the girls’ identity work, such as their awareness of their abilities and fellow participants’ projects, their understanding of parents’ expectations, and their strengths in other STEM domains. While all four girls reluctantly participated in making circuits, the reason for their reluctance varied from an interest in craft and the messiness of working with conductive thread to the preference for familiarity and complexity within other STEM domains such as programming and engineering. Further, as the girls questioned their need to engage in circuit-making, their preference for a particular identity became apparent. Overall, this study’s findings underscore the tensions in learning in technology-rich environments such as makerspaces, highlighting maker technologies’ affordances and limitations and emphasizing the need for a deeper understanding of what shapes learners’ participation and identities.

A symbolic violence approach to gender inequality in academia

AbstractFeminist scholars have long recognized the gender‐based challenges that women in academia face relative to men. Although numerous strategies have been designed and implemented to tackle this problem, the attainment of gender equality in academia has proved futile globally. Integrating Acker's notion of the ideal worker with Bourdieu's concepts of symbolic violence and capital, we undertake a qualitative study of how women in African universities navigate the masculinized ideal academic norm, and how their efforts to break free from this symbolic image reproduces and legitimizes gender inequality. Drawing on the narratives of 36 women researchers in Ghana, Nigeria, Malawi, Kenya, Botswana, and Zambia, our analysis reveals how the perpetual struggle for power, positions, and resources in academia influences women researchers within these contexts to enact three strategies for legitimacy―(1) ‘Engage the patriarchal order,’ (2) ‘Contest normative femininity,’ and (3) ‘Appropriate normative femininity.’ In contributing to the ongoing efforts to achieve sustainable development goals 5 and 8, we develop a theoretical framework that illuminates the subtle and sophisticated mechanisms that (re)produce, sustain, and legitimize the gendered structures and cultures in academia that serve to disadvantage women. The implications of these findings for theory and practice are outlined.

Undoing Gendered Identities? Centrality and Meanings of Parental and Work Identities in Semi-Traditional, Equal-Sharing and Role-Reversed Couples

This mixed-methods study explored the centrality and meanings of men’s and women’s parental and work-related identities by comparing semi-traditional, equal-sharing, and role-reversed couples. Quantitative analysis involved 2,813 British parents (1,380 men, 1,433 women) who were primary caregivers, primary breadwinners, or equal sharers with at least one child aged 11 or under. Qualitative analysis drew on 60 in-depth interviews with 10 couples from each of the three groups. Results indicated that the centrality of parental and work identities varied by role rather than gender, as both male and female caregivers reported less central work identities and more central parental identities compared to breadwinners and equal-sharers. Equal-sharers and role-reversers were characterized by women’s central work identity and men’s low centrality of work identity. In these couples, a `half and half` parenting ideology underlined the construction of mothering and fathering as equivalent interchangeable identities, each forming only one half of a child’s parenting. Intertwining their maternal identity with an equivalent construction of their partners’ identity allowed women to reconcile a good mother ideal with central work identities, by redefining mothering as a responsibility for only half of the caregiving.

Science Identity in Undergraduates: A Comparison of First-Year Biology Majors, Senior Biology Majors, and Non-STEM Majors

We argue it is important for everyone to possess basic scientific literacy for multiple reasons. Viewing oneself as a science person or not can impact one’s confidence and willingness to engage with science content thereby improving science literacy. Identifying as a science person may develop early but is not fixed and may shift through science identity work. We investigated science identity views between STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) and non-STEM majors and assessed whether these views may be influenced by science identity work. Our questions were as follows: (1) How does science identity perception differ between non-STEM and STEM majors? (2) How do non-STEM and STEM students’ perceptions of their science identity change over time? (3) How do non-STEM majors describe a science person compared to STEM majors? We surveyed first-year biology majors, senior biology majors, and non-STEM majors to address our research questions. We found significant shifts in science identity in non-STEM majors taking a general education lab science class pre-course and post-course, differences in agreement regarding science identity between groups, and differences in how a science person is defined among the groups. Our data suggest that instructors can scaffold and support students’ science identity work to increase confidence, STEM retention, and ultimately can improve overall scientific literacy.

The sociolinguistic navigation of sexual normativities among same-gender-attracted men in contemporary Chengdu, China

In this article, the navigation of normativities by same-gender-attracted, male-identified individuals in Chengdu, China is considered with reference to their linguistic identity work. It foregrounds the relevance of plural normativities, which often arise from intersecting structural forces with diverse cultural roots, to better acknowledge the rich diversity of the broader sexual minority community in China. In turn, it argues that individual performances of sexual identity cannot be accurately accounted for using essentialist notions of culture. Furthermore, it is suggested that a sociocultural discourse analysis approach can provide an important and novel perspective on sexual identity in the region. Taking up this perspective questions and challenges assumptions of a characteristic orientation to normality in ‘Chinese culture’ and complicates oversimplified conceptualisations of normativity.

Drawing the past to envision the future: supporting the development of primary STEM teacher identity

ABSTRACT Growing interest in STEM education and imminent curricular reform places new demands on teachers, giving impetus to re-examining how we prepare primary teachers for more integrated approaches. In addition to the acquisition of knowledge and skills, sustainable change demands the development of teacher identity, in which teachers are seen by themselves and others as STEM teachers. This paper reports on the emerging STEM teacher identities of five preservice primary teachers. Using STEM story-lines as an innovative graphing exercise, participants were prompted to reflect on key events that shaped their journey and share future-oriented narratives through drawing and storytelling, as they negotiated becoming STEM teachers. Findings suggest that although their own school experiences were varied and influential, an integrated STEM intervention was the common turning point in their STEM identity development, whereby participants aligned critical components of STEM with personal experiences and values. The reflective tools used supported identity work, by triggering a rediscovery and reinterpretation of their experiences with the benefit of increased knowledge for teaching STEM and, in turn, provided a means to re-envisage the future.

A qualitative study on identity work and positioning of a Swedish-speaking Finn in the Swiss diaspora

A qualitative study on identity work and positioning of a Swedish-speaking Finn in the Swiss diaspora

Rethinking the Epistemological Foundations of Social Work: An Inquiry into Its Artistic or Social Scientific Nature

This research paper explores the ongoing discourse surrounding the professional identity of social work within the realm of social science disciplines. It posits the idea that social work may be more aptly classified as an art form, challenging established paradigms. Through a critical examination of various approaches in practice, ethics, and professionalism, the study highlights the absence of mandated educational seminars, a departure from norms observed in similar professions. Insights gleaned from the literature review shed light on the intricacies of social work practice, ethical dilemmas, and challenges in maintaining professionalism, and the limited use of evidence-based practices, leading many critics of the discipline to suggest that social work is needed but is not based on a robust scientific foundation, proposing it may be better characterized as an art than a science. Employing Arksey and O’Malley’s (2005) model for scoping reviews, the paper conducts a comprehensive search for both published and unpublished research spanning the last 25 years. Findings reveal existential challenges facing social work, such as funding cutbacks, increasing demands for mental health services, and inadequate initiatives for field practitioner support. These challenges, coupled with the lack of employment security, affect prospective students’ interest, thereby compromising education quality and service delivery. As a result, criticisms challenging the conventional categorization of social work as a social science gain momentum, suggesting that social work is more similar to an art form that relies heavily on practitioners’ intuition, empathy, and creative problem-solving abilities. This perspective contributes to disparities in funding, empirical research, and the scarcity of scientific rebuttals to practitioners’ narratives, which are often rich with anecdotal experiences and subjective interpretations.

Constructing the tellability of intergenerational memory narratives in collective remembering in StoryCorps, a digital memory-sharing platform

In the present contribution, I explore how telling intergenerational memory episodes ensures the narrative tellability and memorability of autobiographical memories in StoryCorps, a digital memory-sharing platform and archive. I first pinpoint the structural and conceptual connections between narrative and autobiographical, intergenerational, and collective memory, highlighting the possible effects of digitalization and archiving on narrative structure. Then, I analyze four autobiographical stories with intergenerational family memories from the StoryCorps database to demonstrate how the storyteller constructs tellability and memorability by strategically centering the intergenerational memory episode. I conclude that sharing individual memories on digital storytelling platforms accomplishes complex identity work for two reasons. First, it facilitates the narrative transformation of these remembered events into digitally mediated collective memory. Second, storytelling becomes a source of agency and cultural responsibility. With its focused analysis of digitalized private memories, the article contributes to understanding how digital storytelling and memory-sharing mediate mnemonic practices by recording, storing, editing, and sharing autobiographical memory narratives for undetermined audiences in an indefinite time frame.

Singing the New Scot: Parody, Contrafacta, and Dainty Protest Songs in Cape Breton

ABSTRACT CJCB Radio’s Cape Breton Songs Contest (1949–1952) solicited new lyric submissions on local themes set to popular songs of the day. Successful entries were recorded and became part of the station’s airplay rotation. The songs would often playfully address contemporary concerns in light of a desire for greater cosmopolitanism. One such theme was the still-nascent reframing of Nova Scotia as “Scottish,” a once maligned ethnic heritage now considered the inherent personification of place. As a means to negotiate this new interpretation of Scottishness, songwriters turned to American pop songs doing similar identity work for the Irish American.