Le rapport au travail : mise en lumière de l’agentivité des jeunes en situation de vulnérabilité au Québec et en France

Abstract

Work plays an important role in the lives of both societies and individuals. It serves as both a means for
 social integration and a source of identity, notwithstanding historical contexts marked by precarious
 employment. Whereas much international research and many comparative studies have addressed
 young people’s relationship to work, the existing literature tends to paint a rather uniform picture of
 youth. This article begins with a focus on the unique aspects of the relationship to work among vulnerable
 youth, which leads to an exploration of the processes by which these individuals develop agency.
 Coupled with inductive qualitative analysis, the systematic international perspective provided by
 interviews conducted with vulnerable youth (dropouts, immigrants, Indigenous persons, rural residents,
 and overqualified individuals) in Quebec and France shows that labour market participation not only
 remains important to these youth but constitutes a hub around which their lives acquire structure and
 meaning. They experience inactivity very negatively and express strong criticism of social assistance.
 Although vulnerable youth are acutely affected by material insecurity and often cite the desire to earn
 money as a reason for working, financial considerations remain complex by involving a variety of
 dimensions. Finally, despite the hardships they experience, young people tend to describe the labour
 market in pragmatic and optimistic terms.