How Social Structures Influence the Labour Market Participation of Individuals with Mental Illness: A Bourdieusian Perspective

Autor: Sophie Hennekam, Sarah Richard, Mustafa Özbilgin
Rok vydání: 2022
Předmět:
Zdroj: Journal of Management Studies. 60:174-203
ISSN: 1467-6486
0022-2380
DOI: 10.1111/joms.12851
Popis: Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Adopting a Bourdieusian perspective, this paper examines the social structures that influence the labour market participation of individuals with mental illness. We draw on 257 qualitative surveys completed by individuals with diagnosed mental health conditions in Europe, North America, Oceania, Africa, and Asia. We employed thematic analysis to analyse the data. The findings reveal that the interplay of capital endowments, symbolic violence, habitus and illusio shape the labour market participation of individuals with mental illness. Capital endowments of individuals with mental illness are afforded less value in the labour market and these individuals internalize, legitimize and normalize their disadvantaged position, blaming themselves rather than questioning the social structures leading to the challenges they encounter. We highlight that social structures condition the opinion these individuals have of themselves and how this affects how they navigate the labour market. In sum, we show that Bourdieu's concepts provide a useful lens to study inequalities in the labour market, as they reveal the social structures that produce, sustain and reinforce the social order that disadvantages individuals with mental illness.
Databáze: OpenAIRE
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