Precarity, Dignity, and Wellbeing: Dissecting Economic Identity Factors Among Young Adult Unorganized Sector Workers in Kerala
Keywords:
economic identity, unorganized sector, Kerala, young adults, Person-in-EnvironmentAbstract
This study explores the determinants of economic identity among young adults employed in Kerala’s unorganized sector through a social work lens. Identity, shaped by cultural, social, and structural economic systems, is examined here through a qualitative thematic analysis of twelve participants aged 18–35. Using the Person-in-Environment (PIE) perspective, the findings reveal that incomplete education constrains upward career mobility and social recognition, while aspirations increasingly focus on information technology, accounting, and medical services as pathways out of precariousness. Income–expense disparities, particularly post-marriage, highlight the severe burden of inflation and the structural necessity of secondary income sources. Sudden financial emergencies—including accidents, illnesses, and property disputes—destabilize families both economically and psychologically, underscoring the fragility of financial security in informal employment. Despite limited savings and systemic wage dependency, workers actively aspire to maintain bank balances and secure property ownership as vital markers of dignity, self-esteem, and stability. The study concludes that educational attainment, occupational aspirations, income management, and risk-handling strategies collectively construct the economic identity of young adults in unorganized establishments. These insights emphasize the critical need for financial social work interventions, localized skill-development hubs, and macro-level policy protections to strengthen financial resilience among youth in informal labour markets.
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