Different styles in managing risks in the world of work: A comparative study of occupational careers in Latin America

Introduction:

The comparison of risk perceptions and responses to labor insecurity is central to contemporary debates on social risk, taking into account different institutional and cultural influences shaping answers. In this context, the main interest is to analyses labour markets' insecurities and its ramifications for social uncertainty from the study of cumulative labor risks over the life course.

Objectives:

The presentation aims to link contemporary debates in sociology of risk and contingency with experiences from Latin America labor markets. The purpose is to examine how domestic institutions filter job insecurities. Central hypothesis is that the impact of labor insecurity on life course is experimented differently in Mexico and Argentina, due to institutional and path dependence culture differences. Welfare regimes, works organizations, families systems and workers trajectories modulated the force of labor insecurity on life course and on the kind of responses to risk in everyday life.  

Methods:

The paper takes a national comparative perspective, comparing how similar hazards (eg. Unemployment) are responded to in different societies (Mexico and Argentina). The principal method of analysis is life course perspective and qualitative cohort analysis to find differences over the time in each selected context.

Since a methodological point of view we also ask how we might compare responses and establish whether we can identify a national type of response to risks (due to the enormous internal heterogeneity).

Results:

Job insecurity and everyday risk management in work’s world are experienced in particular ways and have a specific meaning in different socio-cultural and institutional contexts, also depending on life course stage and others social determinants (gender, social class, etc.) of workers biography.

Conclusion:

Social resilience and individualization processes to response to risks at local labor markets have different and particular significance in Latin America, which could make further contributions to advance theorizing.