Employment and social identity: theoretical issues

Economic exclusion raises twin problems of poverty and lack of social recognition. This chapter explores issues of social identity in relation to 'multicultural' citizenship and employment in a world of increasing migration. It also explores a potential solution to economic exclusion in proposals for a citizen's or basic income, in terms of whether a Basic Income would alleviate the economic exclusion of poverty or the crisis of recognition. Poverty and lack of self-esteem are well-known effects of unemployment and degraded forms of employment. The importance of the experience of societal labour is not based on any nostalgic glorification of male 'productive' labour unrestrained by ecological limits. If the experience of social recognition is a condition for identity development, then 'disrespect' brings a threatening loss of personality, and in everyday experiences of disrespect, the usual reaction to such feelings of injustice are manifested in shame, anger or indignation.