REPRESENTATIONS OF WORK AND DECENT WORK AND LIFE PLANNING. QUALITATIVE RESEARCH ON A GROUP OF SOCIALLY VULNERABLE PEOPLE

The ideas that people have about work can greatly influence the ways in which they characterize their careers and their lives. Decent work refers to an opportunity for women and men to experience productive work in the conditions of respect for human rights. However, respect for the principles of decent work seems rather far from always being applied. This study presented the results of a qualita- tive research study on perceptions of the future and of decent work for people in situations of social vulnerability. Data were collected through focus groups. A semi-structured interview was used to ex- plore the differences in representation between work and decent work and the representations of their work in the short and medium terms. The data were processed with N-vivo software, which was used to highlight the most recurring meanings related to the representation of “work” and “decent work.” Moreover, the results showed some gender differences. Implications for career counselling practices are discussed in this paper, emphasizing the possibilities of designing paths and actions that convey the idea of decent work.