Underbyggd av ett teoretiskt ramverk inom livsloppssociologin undersöker föreliggande studie effekterna av Sense of Control (SoC) och framtidsutsikter på den teoretiska relationen mellan psykiskt välbefinnande och arbetsmarknadsposition (LMP) hos unga studenter på högskolenivån. Materialet består av enkätsvar från totalt 155 studenter, i åldrarna 19-30, boende på olika platser i Sverige. En multipel regressionsanalys genomfördes där välbefinnande, LMP, framtidsutsikter och Sense of Control (SoC) ingick. Tvärtemot hypotesen förmådde LMP inte predicera välbefinnande. SoC, däremot, förmådde måttligt predicera välbefinnande (β = .237). Multivariat analys visade även på ett måttligt samband mellan LMP och SoC (r = 0.226, p = 0.005), samt mellan SoC och framtidsutsikter (r = 0.275, p < .001). / Underpinned by a theoretical framework within life course sociology, this study examines the effects of Sense of Control (SoC) and future expectations on the theoretical relationship between psychological well-being and labour market position (LMP) among young students within the academia. The data consists of survey responses from a total of 155 students, aged 19-30, living in various parts of Sweden. A multiple regression analysis was conducted in which well-being, LMP, future expectations and Sense of Control (SoC) were featured. Contrary to the hypothesis, LMP was unsuccessful at predicting well-being. SoC, on the other hand, was found to modestly predict well-being (β = .237). Multivariate analysis also showed a modest relationship between LMP and SoC (r = 0.226, p = 0.005), as well as between SoC and future expectations (r = 0.275, p < .001).

Objectif : Des recherches antérieures ont identifié une mauvaise utilisation des soins prénataux chez les migrants sans assurance maladie au Canada. Cependant, les facteurs qui influencent cette utilisation restent largement inexplorés. L'objectif de cette étude était de quantifier l'utilisation des soins prénataux dans ce groupe et d'identifier les barrières et les facteurs facilitant l'utilisation des soins prénataux. Méthodes : Une étude transversale sur les migrants sans assurance maladie à Montréal, Canada, a été menée entre janvier 2016 et août 2017. Les participants ont été recrutés dans une clinique bénévole locale et dans la communauté en utilisant un échantillonnage à partir de lieux et en boule de neige. Les mesures des résultats comprenaient l'utilisation des soins prénataux, l'initiation des soins prénataux et l'adéquation des soins prénataux. L'analyse de régression a identifié les barrières et les facteurs facilitant l'utilisation des soins prénataux. Résultats : 125 grossesses antérieures au Canada ont été recensées parmi 101 femmes. 65.0% des grossesses impliquaient une utilisation des soins prénataux et 44.6% impliquaient un début tôt des soins. Parmi les 62 grossesses menées à terme, 29.5% ont reçu des soins prénataux adéquats. Les femmes ≥35 ans (OR 0.13, IC à 95%: 0.03-0.54, p = 0.01), entre 18 et 24 ans (OR 0.30, IC à 95%: 0.09-0.99, p=0.049), et celles qui ne savaient pas où consulter (OR 0.25, IC à 95%: 0.06-0.99, p=0.049) avaient significativement moins de chances (p <0.05) d’utiliser les soins prénataux. Les femmes âgées de 30 à 34 ans (OR 0.27, IC à 95%: 0.10-0.72, p=0.01) avaient significativement moins de chances (p <0.05) de commencer tôt les soins prénataux. En revanche, les femmes mariées ou en union de fait (OR 3.16, IC à 95%: 1.04-9.62, p=0.04) avaient significativement plus de chances (p <0.05) de commencer tôt les soins prénataux. Conclusion : Notre étude a révélé que l'utilisation des soins prénataux chez les migrants sans assurance était très faible. Les facteurs influençant l'utilisation des soins prénatals étaient variés et liés à la démographie, au réseau social et à la migration. Les politiques futures devraient viser à améliorer l'accès aux soins prénatals au sein de cette population vulnérable. / Objective: Previous research has identified poor prenatal care use among uninsured migrants in Canada, however, the factors influencing this usage remain largely unexplored. The study objective was to quantify the use of prenatal care among this group and to identify the barriers and facilitating factors to prenatal care use. Methods: A cross-sectional survey of uninsured migrants in Montreal, Canada was carried out between January 2016 and August 2017. Participants were recruited from a local volunteer clinic and from the community using venue-based and snowball sampling. Outcome measures included prenatal care use, prenatal care initiation, and prenatal care adequacy. Regression analysis identified barriers and facilitating factors to prenatal care use. Results: 125 previous pregnancies in Canada were identified among 101 women. 65.0% of pregnancies involved prenatal care use and 44.6% involved an early initiation of care. Among the 62 pregnancies carried to term, 29.5% received adequate prenatal care. Women ≥35 years of age (OR 0.13, 95% CI: 0.03-0.54, p=0.01), between the ages of 18-24 (OR 0.30, 95% CI: 0.09-0.99, p=0.049), and those who did not know where to consult (OR 0.25, 95% CI: 0.06-0.99, p=0.049) were significantly less likely (p<0.05) to use prenatal care. Women aged 30-34 (OR 0.27, 95% CI: 0.10-0.72, p=0.01) were significantly less likely (p<0.05) to initiate prenatal care early. In contrast, women who were married or in common-law relationships (OR 3.16, 95% CI: 1.04-9.62, p=0.04) were significantly more likely (p<0.05) to initiate prenatal care early. Conclusion: Our study found that prenatal care use among uninsured migrants was very poor. Factors influencing prenatal care use were varied and related to demographics, social network, and migration. Future policy should aim to improve access to prenatal care among this vulnerable population.

Bakgrund: Det pågår en bostadskris i många av Sveriges kommuner - framför allt i storstäderna. I dess svallvågor växer andra typer av boendeformer fram när förstahandskontrakt och bostadsrätter är allt svårare att få tillgång till. Unga vuxna är en av de grupper som är som mest utsatta på bostadsmarknaden och som har svårt att få tillgång till ett eget eller långsiktigt boende. I relation till tidigare forskning visar det att det finns ett tomrum när det kommer till att undersöka sexuellt välbefinnande och hälsa i relation till prekära boendeformer. Däremot finns det studier som berör andra aspekter av prekära boenden och bostadskris - där det tydligt identifieras att prekära boenden medför bland annat stress och psykisk ohälsa.  Syfte: Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka huruvida prekära boendesituationer påverkar sexualitet, sexuellt välbefinnande och sexualliv hos unga vuxna. Målet är även att fånga upp hur enskilda individer förstår och navigerar sina boendesituationer i relation till sin sexualitet, möjligheten till intimitet och att utveckla relationer.  Metod: Studien är baserad på sex kvalitativa intervjuer med unga vuxna som har erfarenhet av olika prekära boendeformer. Flera bor inneboende eller i kollektiv, en bor med förälder och en annan med ett andrahandskontrakt.  Resultat:Genomgående teman som identifierats i empirin är hur boendet påverkar sexualiteten, möjlighet till privatliv, relationer och intimitet. En viktig aspekt som fångas upp i empirin är hur prekära boendeformer på flera sätt suddar ut en given gräns mellan det privata och publika i de intervjuades liv - där boendet traditionellt får representera privatlivet. Empirin har analyserats med hjälp av Erving Goffmans begreppspar frontstage och backstage, Simon och Gagnons sexuella skript-teori samt Gayle Rubins sexuella värdehierarki.  Ett prekärt boende bidrar i många fall till att vissa interpersonella och intrapsykiska sexuella skript förändras i relation till boendet, där vissa strategier behöver tillämpas för att uppleva en möjlighet till sexuellt välbefinnande. Strategier som att vara tyst, bara ha sex när hyresvärden eller rumskamraterna är borta eller att ha sex hos andra framkommer i empirin. Studien visar också att möjligheter till handlingsutrymme också är en viktig aspekt av att få sex, relationer och intimitet att funka inom ett prekärt boende.  Slutsats: Ett prekärt boende påverkar aspekter av sexuellt välbefinnande och möjligheter till relationsskapande och intimitet. En aspekt som påverkar detta är de sociala, emotionella och materiella aspekterna av att bo i ett prekärt boende samt bristen eller få möjligheter till privatliv. Studien ger incitament till vidare forskning kring hur olika boendesituationer påverkar individers sexuella välbefinnande. / Background: There is a housing crisis in many of Sweden's municipalities, especially in the major cities. In its aftermath, other types of housing options are emerging as first-hand contracts and owned housing are becoming increasingly difficult to access. Young adults are one of the groups most vulnerable in the housing market and struggle to attain their own long-term accommodation. In relation to previous research, there is a gap in investigating sexual well-being and health in relation to precarious housing situations. However, studies exist that address other aspects of precarious housing and the housing crisis, clearly identifying that precarious housing leads to stress and mental health issues, among other things. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine whether precarious housing situations affect sexuality, sexual well-being, and sex life among young adults. The goal is also to understand how individuals comprehend and navigate their housing situations in relation to their sexuality, the possibility of intimacy, and developing relationships. Method: The study is based on six qualitative interviews involving young adults with experience in various precarious housing forms. Several participants live with roommates or in collective housing, one lives with a parent, and another has a sublease agreement. Results: Consistent themes identified in the empirical data include how housing affects sexuality, privacy, relationships, and intimacy. An important aspect captured in the data is how precarious housing blurs the boundary between the private and public spheres in the lives of the interviewees, where housing traditionally represents privacy. The data has been analyzed using Erving Goffman's front stage and backstage concepts, Simon and Gagnon's sexual script theory, as well as Gayle Rubin's sexual hierarchy of value. Precarious housing often leads to changes in interpersonal and intrapsychic sexual scripts related to the housing situation, requiring certain strategies to experience sexual well-being. Strategies such as being quiet, only having sex when the landlord or roommates are away, or having sex elsewhere emerged in the data. The study also demonstrates that opportunities for agency are a crucial aspect in achieving sexual experiences, relationships, and intimacy within a precarious housing situation. Conclusion: Precarious housing affects aspects of sexual well-being and opportunities for forming relationships and intimacy. One aspect influencing this is the social, emotional, and material aspects of living in precarious housing, as well as the lack of or limited opportunities for privacy. The study provides incentive for further research on how different housing situations impact individuals' sexual well-being.

[pt] Este estudo demonstra, a partir de uma abordagem qualitativa, a precarização do trabalho terceirizado de limpeza no âmbito do Estado e na catedral das mercadorias, através da investigação das formas de exploração, dominação e opressão e as suas consequências sobre as condições de saúde, trabalho e vida de trabalhadores(as) terceirizados(as). A pesquisa se deu no sentido de analisar, a partir de um prisma sociológico, um fenômeno que é rico em determinações, sejam elas econômicas, políticas ou mesmo ideológicas. Assim, dois grupos foram abordados mais diretamente: os(as) trabalhadores(as) terceirizados(as) de limpeza em um shopping center (denominado Triple A) e as trabalhadoras da limpeza de um órgão público do setor judiciário da cidade de São Paulo. Faz-se a crítica ao princípio da política neoliberal e ao avanço da ideologia neofascista do atual governo, que ganha destaque, pois tem se concretizado na desregulamentação dos direitos conquistados pelos trabalhadores no processo histórico, e a terceirização merece especial atenção no cenário atual, onde a sua regulamentação, pela Lei nº 13.429/2017, e, também, a reforma trabalhista, que foram aprovadas com o intuito de precarizar ainda mais as condições de vida e de trabalho no país. Parte-se do pressuposto de que a forma de contratação do trabalho terceirizado encobre o caráter subordinado do trabalho aos setores dinâmicos da economia e, consequentemente, ao processo de acumulação capitalista. A falta de um contrato direto de trabalho, ou de um contrato que proteja o(a) trabalhador(a), é considerada uma afronta à cidadania social. Assim, o(a) trabalhador(a) terceirizado(a) deixa de ser visto como cidadão ou como sujeito de direitos. No processo de pesquisa procurou-se conhecer as experiências dos(as) trabalhadores(as), buscando examinar a possível invisibilidade e sofrimento causados pelas condições de trabalho a que estão submetidos. Partiu-se da compreensão da realidade como um campo infinito de inter-relações permeadas por objetividades e subjetividades, visto que abarca relações entre sujeitos e objetos exteriores, entre sujeitos e outros sujeitos, e relações do sujeito consigo mesmo, ou seja, as relações de trabalho estabelecidas. Foi possível conhecer e refletir sobre a realidade e as condições de trabalho dos(as) trabalhadores(as) terceirizados que se ocupam da limpeza por intermédio de entrevistas e observações realizadas nos campos empíricos da pesquisa. A Internet também foi utilizada como meio de obter acesso a depoimentos de trabalhadores(as) das empresas Passando a Limpo e Maquiagem (nome fictício das empresas que prestam serviços para o Shopping Triple A e para o órgão público do judiciário), através das suas páginas no Facebook. Além disso, foram realizados revisão e aprofundamento da pesquisa bibliográfica iniciada no projeto de pesquisa. A partir dos dados coletados e analisados, é possível afirmar que as condições e relações de trabalho dos(as) trabalhadores(as) da limpeza nos setores público e privado, resguardadas suas particularidades, são marcadas por invisibilidade e sofrimento. Observa-se, também, que a desumanização inerente ao processo capitalista reveste de pompa e brilho os shoppings centers e os locais de grande circulação de pessoas, como um órgão público do Judiciário, à custa do trabalho precário do(as)s terceirizados(as). / [en] The current study shows, from a qualitative approach, the precariousness of the outsourced cleaning labor in the State scope and in the cathedral of goods, through labor exploitation investigation, domination and oppression and its consequences on heath conditions, labor and outsourced workers life. From a sociologic point, this research took place to analyze a phenomenon rich in determinations, being this economic, political, or even ideological. Thus, two different groups were directly approached: the cleaning outsourced staff from a shopping center (called Triple A) and cleaning staff from an judiciary public body in the city of São Paulo. It is done a criticism to the principle of the neoliberal political and to the progress of the current government Neo-fascist ideology, which is highlighted, since it has concretized the deregulation of the achieved rights by the workers in the historic process, and the outsourcing deserved special attention in the current scenario, where its regulation, by the Law nº 13.429/2017, and also by a labor reform, that were approved with the intention of jeopardizing even more the life and work conditions in the country. From an assumption that the outsourced work hiring way underlie the subordinate character of the labor to the dynamic departments of economy and, therefore, to the process of capitalism accumulation. The lack of a direct employment contract or of an agreement that protects the worker is considered an insult to the social citizenship. Hence, the outsourced worker is not seeing as a citizen or as a subject that has its rights. In the process of this research, it was sought to know the workers experience in order to evaluate the invisibility and suffering induced by the working conditions that they are submitted. Starting with the reality comprehension as an infinite field of interrelations permeated by objectivities and subjectivities, which embraces relationships between subject and external object, subject and others subjects, and also the relationship with themselves, that is, the established working relationships. It was possible to understand and reflect the reality and the living conditions of the outsourced workers that occupy themselves from the cleaning through interviews and observations performed in the empirical research field. The internet was also used as a medium to obtain access to the testimonies from workers of the Passando a Limpo company (the fake name for the company that services for the Triple A mall) through their Facebook webpage. Moreover, it was performed a review and deepening of the bibliography investigation started in the research project. From the collected and analyzed data, it was possible to state that the working conditions, from the public and private sectors, and relationships of the workers are marked by an invisibility and hardship. It was also observed that the dehumanization inherent to the capitalist process bleeds with sophistication and splendors the malls at the expense of hard work of the outsourced workers.

Denna studie undersöker hur individer påverkas av att arbeta under osäkra anställningsförhållanden. Genom att genomföra sju kvalitativa intervjuer med personer anställda på olika osäkra eller tidsbegränsade anställningar, samt med en tillsvidareanställd och en chef på ett företag med visstidsanställda, syftar studien till att skapa en djupare förståelse för hur osäkra arbetsförhållanden påverkar människors välbefinnande och vardag. Resultaten visar att respondenterna upplevde både positiva och negativa effekter av de osäkra anställningsformerna. Å ena sidan uttrycker många hur de känner en oro för sin arbetssituation, men upplever samtidigt en viss trygghet på respektive arbetsplats. Dock är drömmen om en fast anställning gemensam för alla respondenter. Osäkerheten och oron bidrar bland annat till stress, ekonomisk otrygghet och svårigheter att upprätthålla en balans mellan arbete och fritid för respondenterna. Å andra sidan uppskattar vissa av respondenterna flexibiliteten, trivs med sina kollegor och den gemenskap som finns på arbetsplatsen. Sammanfattningsvis visar studien att osäkra anställningsförhållanden påverkar individen på olika sätt, både positivt och negativt, vilket skapar en djupare förståelse för konsekvenserna av dessa arbetsförhållanden. / This study examines how individuals are affected by working under precarious employment conditions. By conducting seven qualitative interviews with individuals employed in various insecure or temporary positions, as well as with a permanent employee and a manager at a company employing fixed-term workers, the study aims to gain a deeper understanding of how insecure working conditions impact people's well-being and everyday lives. The results reveal that respondents experienced both positive and negative effects of insecure employment arrangements. On one hand, many express concerns about their work situation but also find a certain sense of security within their respective workplaces. However, the desire for permanent employment is a common thread among all respondents. The uncertainty and anxiety contribute to stress, financial insecurity, and difficulties in maintaining a work-life balance for the participants. On the other hand, some respondents appreciate the flexibility, enjoy their colleagues' company, and value the sense of community in their workplace. In summary, the study demonstrates that insecure employment conditions affect individuals in different ways, both positively and negatively, providing a deeper understanding of the consequences of such employment arrangements.

This dissertation compares the work and life of secondary public-school teachers in Ontario with different labour contracts during a time of crisis. The COVID public health crisis along with neoliberalism, the defunding of public education, and a climate crisis have all influenced governmental policies and the labour process of public secondary teachers in Ontario. The influences that different contracts can have on the labour process of teachers, how they feel towards their union, and the impacts on their individual health and household wellbeing before and during the first year of the COVID pandemic is the focus of this dissertation. To help explore these contexts and the influences on the life and labour of public secondary teachers in Ontario with different contracts, I have used research from studies in Labour Process Theory, precarious work, and educational labour to inform my analysis. Along with those areas of discourse, I have also used insights from research into Critical Realism and Thematic Analysis to think through and discuss the differences between the teachers I interviewed and connect their experiences with work, their union, and their individual health and household well-being to larger systems, structures, and histories. The interviews conducted revealed three points of interest: that precarious labour contracts can function as a disciplinary device, that larger contexts outside the contract shaped how the contract was experienced, and that teachers’ unions can act as a source of solidarity and security during a crisis and when there are certain associations with its purpose. This exploratory research aims to open up future areas of research into educational labour and differences between the experiences of educators with different contracts. / Dissertation / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / This project explored the differences between public secondary teachers with different contracts in Ontario before and during the COVID pandemic. It involved an online survey to help recruit participants and interviews with 36 teachers who were recruited from the online survey. Of the 36 teachers, 13 had permanent contracts, 16 had long term occasional (LTO) contracts, and 7 had occasional teaching (OT) contracts. The interviews and analysis revealed three points of interest: that precarious labour contracts in a tiered relationship with secure contracts can function as a disciplinary device, that larger contexts outside the contract shaped how the contract was experienced, and that teachers’ unions can act as a source of solidarity and security during a crisis and when there are certain associations with its purpose. Teachers with different contracts had uniquely different experiences with their work, their union, and their individual health and household wellbeing before and during COVID.

The berry industry is one of many migration corridors where migrant workers work under precarious forms of employment. The essay’s purpose is to examine different perspectives on the living and working conditions in the Swedish berry picking industry. This will be studied qualitatively, with oral history as the primary research method, by analysing inspection reports and through interviews with six informants. The informants consist of workers from The Swedish Municipal Workers' Union (Kommunal), a berry picker and a berry principal. Previous research on this topic is sparse and few have used historical and sociological perspectives to explain the phenomenon. The Thai berry pickers’ living conditions varies. Some municipalities need to execute inspections far more frequent, for the inspections to become an important mechanism of control which can exert pressure. Kommunal has since 2009 had the right to represent the Thai berry pickers and the working conditions have improved ever since. Through the collective agreement the workers are given the right to minimum-wage in addition to the piece rate. Kommunal plays an important role but are limited as few berry pickers are members of the labour union. The working hours is one area of concern where Kommunal has difficulties to act. The piece rate has given rise to intense work and the berry pickers therefore want to maximize their profits. The berry picking principals, in the competitive industry, varies in terms of seriousness but can change the industry. This responsibility has not always been adopted. / Bärindustrin är en av många migrationskorridorer, där migrantarbetare arbetar under prekära anställningsformer. Uppsatsens syfte är att undersöka ett flertal perspektiv på boende- och arbetsförhållandena inom den kommersiella bärplockningen i Sverige. Detta studeras kvalitativt, med muntlig historia som huvudsaklig undersökningsmetod, genom att analysera opublicerade inspektionsrapporter samt förhållningssätt till företeelsen genom intervjuer med sex relevanta informanter. Informanterna består av anställda på Svenska Kommunalarbetareförbundet (Kommunal), en bärplockare och en bärföretagare. Forskningsläget om den kommersiella bärplockningen är begränsat och få har anlagt historiska och sociologiska perspektiv för att förklara fenomenet. De thailändska bärplockarnas boendeförhållanden varierar. Vissa kommuner behöver utföra mer frekventa inspektioner för att inspektionerna ska kunna utgöra en viktig kontrollmekanism i form av ett påtryckningsmedel.  Sedan 2009 har Kommunal haft organisationsrätt att företräda de thailändska bärplockarna och därefter har arbetsförhållandena förbättrats. Genom kollektivavtalet har alla thailändska bärplockare rätt till lagstadgad grundlön, utöver ackordslönen. Kommunal har ett viktigt ansvar men är begränsade då organiseringsgraden är låg. Arbetstiderna är ett problemområde där Kommunal har svårt att agera. Ackordslönen ger upphov till intensivt arbete och bärplockarna vill därför maximera sina inkomster. Bärföretagen i den konkurrerande branschen varierar i seriöshet men har möjligheter att påverka arbetsförhållandena. Detta medför ett ansvar som inte alltid har antagits.

This thesis explored the fathering practices of precariously employed African men with the study objectives including understanding: (1) how precariously employed men construct fatherhood; (2) the fathering practices considered important to them; (3) in what way precarious employment impacts on their fathering practices; and (4) how precariously employed men negotiate between their children’s economic as well as socio-emotional needs. This research focused particularly on the experiences of roadside work-seekers in Parow, Cape Town, seeking to understand how they construct fatherhood within their precarious working conditions. What these men think about fatherhood is important particularly in South Africa where not only unemployment is high, but also the rates of children growing up without their fathers. An ethnographic study was conducted during which data was collected using both participant observation and semi-structured interview methods. This thesis reports on interviews conducted with 46 men over a period of seventeen weeks. The findings reveal that the majority of roadside work-seekers are migrants (both internal and cross border) who have families to provide for. This study also revealed having children as one of the main reasons men engage in precarious work activities. Also highlighted is the extent to which precarious work impact the lives of those involved to the extent that it affects their relationships with their children, families and intimate partners. The majority of day labourers, due to being unemployed also do not live with their children, with many being denied access as a result of a breakdown in their relationship with the mother of the child, but also as a result of being unable to fulfil certain traditional requirements expected of men who impregnate women out of wedlock in some African cultures. Finally, this study confirmed the various ways in which men engaged in precarious employment are exposed to high levels of poverty, homelessness, substance abuse, violence and crime, and racism, discrimination and exploitation. / Psychology / D. Phil. (Psychology)

This thesis explored the fathering practices of precariously employed African men with the study objectives including understanding: (1) how precariously employed men construct fatherhood; (2) the fathering practices considered important to them; (3) in what way precarious employment impacts on their fathering practices; and (4) how precariously employed men negotiate between their children’s economic as well as socio-emotional needs. This research focused particularly on the experiences of roadside work-seekers in Parow, Cape Town, seeking to understand how they construct fatherhood within their precarious working conditions. What these men think about fatherhood is important particularly in South Africa where not only unemployment is high, but also the rates of children growing up without their fathers. An ethnographic study was conducted during which data was collected using both participant observation and semi-structured interview methods. This thesis reports on interviews conducted with 46 men over a period of seventeen weeks. The findings reveal that the majority of roadside work-seekers are migrants (both internal and cross border) who have families to provide for. This study also revealed having children as one of the main reasons men engage in precarious work activities. Also highlighted is the extent to which precarious work impact the lives of those involved to the extent that it affects their relationships with their children, families and intimate partners. The majority of day labourers, due to being unemployed also do not live with their children, with many being denied access as a result of a breakdown in their relationship with the mother of the child, but also as a result of being unable to fulfil certain traditional requirements expected of men who impregnate women out of wedlock in some African cultures. Finally, this study confirmed the various ways in which men engaged in precarious employment are exposed to high levels of poverty, homelessness, substance abuse, violence and crime, and racism, discrimination and exploitation. / Psychology / D. Phil. (Psychology)

L’expansion de l’organisation de la production des biens et services sous forme de réseau, découlant de la recherche de flexibilité face à une concurrence économique accrue, soulève des enjeux importants pour les relations industrielles. Notre thèse s’intéresse au processus de précarisation des emplois dans les segments externalisés des réseaux de production. Elle se base sur trois études de cas portant sur les réseaux de services publics et privés d’aide à domicile au Québec. Les études en droit critique ont montré que le droit du travail, fondé sur le modèle de l’entreprise intégrée et de la relation d’emploi bipartite, ne parvient pas à identifier comme employeurs certaines organisations dont l’action a pourtant un effet déterminant sur les conditions de travail dans les réseaux. Notre thèse visait donc à mettre en lumière la réalité empirique des relations de pouvoir qui traversent les réseaux et leurs effets et ce à partir d’un modèle analytique transdisciplinaire intégrant les dimensions juridiques et sociologiques. Les résultats nous amènent d’abord à constater que l’employeur juridique des travailleuses employées par les prestataires privés intégrés aux réseaux – une majorité de femmes – est le plus souvent une agence de location de personnel, une entreprise d’économie sociale ou même l’usager-ère des services d’aide à domicile. Cet employeur est rarement identifié aux organismes publics, donc sous l’égide de l’État, qui exercent un pouvoir prépondérant dans ces réseaux. Le décalage entre la régulation juridique du travail et la réalité empirique du pouvoir intra-réseau entraîne une précarisation de la protection sociale et des conditions de travail de ces travailleuses. Ainsi, la faible protection de leurs droits de représentation et de négociation collectives facilite l’imposition de la « disponibilité permanente juste-à-temps », combinant les logiques du lean et du travail domestique, ainsi qu’une déqualification sexuée et racialisée de leurs emplois par rapport à la situation dans le secteur public. Notre étude montre néanmoins que certaines pratiques innovatrices d’action collective réticulaire ont pu influencer la dynamique de pouvoir, en particulier celles portées par des associations locales de personnes handicapées recourant aux services et par un syndicat de travailleuses d’agence. / The increasing trend towards organizing the production of goods and services into networks as a result of the quest for flexibility in the face of fierce economic competition raises critical issues for industrial relations. Our thesis examines the precarization of jobs in the externalized segments of production networks. It is based on three case studies focusing on the networks of public and private homecare services in Quebec. Critical law studies have shown that labour law, based on the model of the integrated firm and the binary employment relationship, fails to identify as employers some organizations whose action nevertheless has a decisive impact on working conditions in these networks. Our thesis thus aimed to shed light on the empirical reality of the power relations prevailing throughout the networks and their effects, using an interdisciplinary analytical model that integrates the legal and sociological dimensions. Results indicate that the legal employer of workers – most of them women – employed by private service providers integrated into the networks is most often an employment agency, a social economy enterprise or the individual using the homecare services. This employer is rarely identified as being among the public organizations which, under the aegis of state, exercise predominant power over these networks. The gap between the legal regulation of labour and the empirical reality of intra-network power leads to a precarization of the social protection and working conditions of these women workers. Thus, the weak protection of their rights to collective representation and collective bargaining facilitates the imposition of “just-in-time permanent availability”, combining lean management logic with domestic work logic, and leads to a gendered and racialized deskilling of their jobs compared to the situation prevailing in the public sector. Our study nevertheless shows that some innovative practices involving reticular collective action – in particular practices implemented by local associations of disabled persons using the services and by a union of female agency workers – have had an influence on these power dynamics.