Elizabeth Barrette (ysabetwordsmith) wrote,
Elizabeth Barrette
ysabetwordsmith
  • Mood: tired

How Job Loss Frays Communities

This article reveals that involuntary layoffs tend to cause a permanent reduction in people's community involvement.

Lose Your Job, Lose Contact With Your Community
Tom Jacobs, Miller-McCune: "Two troubling trends have reshaped the lives of Americans over the past few decades: Our jobs are less secure, and we are less likely to participate in social and community groups. A first-of-its-kind study suggests these phenomena are linked. Analyzing decades of data, sociologist Jennie Brand of the University of California, Los Angeles and Sarah Burgard of the University of Michigan found workers who have been laid off even once are 35 percent less likely to be involved in community or social organizations than workers who have never lost a job under those circumstances. "
Tags: community
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  • 9 comments
dmkraft

dmkraft

October 14 2008, 10:54:41 UTC 12 years ago

Without reading the full article, but speaking from personal experience, I can understand the inclination to pull away from "community" involvement. A corporation is a community. With layoffs, suddenly that community collapses. First, you know it's coming and fear is a constant torment; then the day arrives and you watch as people you greeted every morning and joined in occasional meetings -- people you respect -- are escorted from the building through no fault of their own. If you're not one of those people, you can experience a variety of feelings, from "survivor guilt" to the realization that there is no such thing as "security." And whether you stay or go, there is a tendency to withdraw from things, to pull away. You lose your sense of community. You start to realize that everyone around you could vanish in an instant. You wear your own skin as a security blanket; and like a child afraid of monsters, you hide your face under the covers hoping the monsters will not see you.

It's a frightening time. I'm in the thick of it right now. I still have a job, but I know there is no guarantee I won't lose that job down the road. If senior-engineers who have dedicated 20 years to the company are no longer valued, then how can I be valued? How can anyone?
ysabetwordsmith

Thank you...

ysabetwordsmith

October 14 2008, 15:40:36 UTC 12 years ago

... for sharing such a difficult experience to put a face on it for other folks. I hope you come through this okay.
morningdove3202

morningdove3202

October 14 2008, 12:50:55 UTC 12 years ago Edited:  October 14 2008, 12:51:11 UTC

I wonder what a study would find of people leaving their jobs to care for children or elderly family members.....
ysabetwordsmith

ysabetwordsmith

October 14 2008, 15:35:46 UTC 12 years ago

I don't know. I suspect there would be some impact, because those tasks burn up huge amounts of time and energy; but probably lower impact than involuntary layoffs. Most people bounce back better from stress when they're more in control of a situation. When you do everything you're supposed to and you get shafted anyway, there's more grounds for just saying, "Fuck 'em. They don't want me, they better not come crying to me for help." And apply that to the world at large, not just one company, especially if they look for outside support and don't get any.
ysabetwordsmith

ysabetwordsmith

October 14 2008, 15:36:21 UTC 12 years ago

I don't know. I suspect there would be some impact, because those tasks burn up huge amounts of time and energy; but probably lower impact than involuntary layoffs. Most people bounce back better from stress when they're more in control of a situation. When you do everything you're supposed to and you get shafted anyway, there's more grounds for just saying, "Fuck 'em. They don't want me, they better not come crying to me for help." And apply that to the world at large, not just one company, especially if they look for outside support and don't get any. Can't say I blame them, either. There's not much reward to participating in a broken system.
anamacha

anamacha

October 17 2008, 04:09:15 UTC 12 years ago

I wasn't raised in a childhood of community or volunteering, so that might have something to do with it. But I've been laid off or fired multiple times, and my current community involvement is exactly zero.

I keep thinking about it, from time to time. But nothing ever changes. I realize I have to do it, but I have little if any motivation to do so.
ysabetwordsmith

Hmm...

ysabetwordsmith

October 17 2008, 04:21:59 UTC 12 years ago

Well, why are you thinking about it? That might lead you to the right kind of opportunity.

Do you want to meet new people? Just about any volunteer gig will do, but look for big ones that advertise.

Do you want to help people who are really down? Consider working at a shelter or food pantry.

Do you want to learn or use a certain skill? Look up "charities" in the phone book and call around to see who has a need for it. They tend to be real enthusiastic about skilled volunteers or people who are willing to learn a new skill.

You get the idea.
anamacha

Re: Hmm...

anamacha

October 17 2008, 05:08:49 UTC 12 years ago

I'm thinking about it because I want to feel good; I want to help people; it's been suggested to me that I do that in order to see that I don't have it as bad as I sometimes think.

The skill based thing sounds interesting. Maybe I'll do that. Thanks!
ysabetwordsmith

Re: Hmm...

ysabetwordsmith

October 17 2008, 05:29:12 UTC 12 years ago

Yes, helping others is among the more reliable ways to feel better about yourself. Good luck with this! If you find something you like, let us know how it goes, okay?