Umney, Charles and Kretsos, Lefteris (2015) “That’s the experience”: Passion, work precarity, and life transitions among London jazz musicians. Work and Occupations, 42 (3). pp. 313-334. ISSN 0730-8884 (Print), 1552-8464 (Online) (doi:10.1177/0730888415573634)

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Abstract

This article looks at early-career jazz musicians working in London. It links sociological literature on precarity and the life course with a more specific focus on the process of establishing a career in music. It shows how participants sought to embrace and sometimes even manufacture greater precarity in their working lives, and how they contextualized it as part of the life course. Their ability to manage precarity in this way, however, was greatly affected by structural factors, specifically socioeconomic background. Particular elements that are especially pronounced in creative work, such as the prominence of project-based employment and the importance of passion for the job, are important factors leading to the management and indefinite extension of these transitional periods.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	creative work, jazz musicians, precarity, career paths
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor H Social Sciences > HM Sociology
Faculty / School / Research Centre / Research Group:	Faculty of Business Faculty of Business > Department of Human Resources & Organisational Behaviour
Last Modified:	10 Jun 2019 14:01
URI:	http://gala.gre.ac.uk/id/eprint/13170

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