The Subjective Experience of Joblessness in Poland (eBook)

Preface and Acknowledgment 5
Contents 7
Chapter 1: Introduction: The Experience of Joblessness in Poland 11
Defining Joblessness 12
The Data: The Joblessness Study and the Polish Panel Survey, POLPAN 13
Research Design in the Joblessness Project 14
The Instrument 15
Data Collection 16
Theoretical Perspectives 16
Social Constructions 16
Social Class and Inequality 17
Outline of the Book 18
Our Contributions 18
References 19
Part I: Background of the Study 20
Chapter 2: Economic Context, Labor Market Situation, and Employment Policies 21
Building a New Society After 1989 21
Waves of Unemployment in Post-communist Poland 22
Poland and the Global Economic Crisis 25
Migration and the Labor Market 26
Labor Market Flexibility and Its Consequences 27
Trash Contracts and Junk Jobs 30
Over-Education and Under-Employment 33
Precarity 34
Unemployment Law in Poland 34
Protection Against Dismissal from Work: Labor Code and Act on Group Dismissals 37
Worker Protections 38
Counteracting Effects of Unemployment: Statutory Provisions 38
How Poland Defines Unemployment 40
Counteracting Unemployment 40
Unemployment Benefits in Poland 41
Legal Profiles of the Jobless 42
The Informal Labor Market, or “Grey Zone” 43
State Programmes to Counteract the Effects Unemployment 43
Summary 44
References 45
Websites 48
Chapter 3: Joblessness Studies Since the 1930s in Poland and Abroad 49
The Enduring Value of Marienthal and Polish Unemployment Research of the 1930s 50
Memoirs of the Unemployed, 1930s 50
Unemployment During State Socialism: A 45-year Break 52
Polish Studies After 1989 53
Memoirs of the Unemployed, 2000s 53
Unemployment Experiences of the Young 54
Personal Consequences of Being Jobless 55
Being a Housewife 60
Conclusion 61
References 62
Chapter 4: The Respondents, the Interviewers, and the Interview Situation 64
The Respondents 64
Subjective Joblessness 67
The Interviewers 68
Characteristics of the Interviewers 68
Training of Interviewers 68
The Interview Situation 70
Cold Spell 70
Part II: Routes into and Out of Joblessness 72
Chapter 5: How I Lost My Job 73
Gender, Class, and Entering Joblessness 73
Methodological Considerations 75
Interactions Between Interviewer and Respondent 75
Paths to Joblessness 76
Dismissals 77
Structural Dismissal 77
Non-structural Dismissal 80
Dismissal After Maternity Leave 80
Quitting 83
Graduation 84
Other 85
Summary 86
References 86
Chapter 6: Becoming a Housewife 87
Defining Housewives 87
Paths into Homemaking 90
Economic Decisions 91
Accumulated Caregiving 93
Health Reasons 94
Conclusion 96
References 98
Chapter 7: Looking for and Finding a Job 99
Theoretical Background 100
Our Study 103
The Interview as a Social Performance 103
Who is Searching for Jobs, and How? 105
Personal Networks 106
Official Channels and Other 106
Finding a Job 107
Personal Networks 108
Official Channels 108
Conclusion 109
References 110
Chapter 8: Labor Market Destinations of the Jobless 111
The Present Analysis 112
Respondents’ Jobs in 2012: Success or Failure? 114
Expectations and Realities: The Jobless Respondents in 2013 122
Conclusions 127
References 128
Part III: Daily Life of the Jobless 130
Chapter 9: Irregular Jobs and Housework 131
Problem Statement and Research Expectations 132
Results 134
Informal (Odd) Jobs 134
Housework 138
Life at Home: Perceived Monetary Value of Housework 143
Concluding Remarks 145
References 147
Chapter 10: Social and Political Activities of Housewives 148
Social Activities 149
Helping People in Need 149
Joining Others’ Initiatives 151
Social Disengagement 152
Political Activities 152
Voting 152
Interest in Politics 153
Withdrawal and Disassociation 155
Conclusion 157
References 158
Chapter 11: Social and Political Activities of the Unemployed 160
Social Activity 160
Political Activity 162
Our Study 164
Negotiation with the Interviewer 164
Definitions of Social and Political Activity 166
Social Activity 166
Political Activity 167
Social Isolation 168
Social and Political Activity as a Cost-Benefit Analysis 168
Politicians are Annoying and Politics Wouldn’t Help, Anyway 169
Combinations of Views 170
Low Political Efficacy Connected to Low “Social” Efficacy 170
Conclusion 171
References 173
Conclusion 174
Gender Matters 180
Social Construction 181
References 182