Work as representation: the view of young university students

Abstract

One period of particular importance in the relation of the individual to the world of work is the transition from youth to adulthood, when, among other modifications (biological, psychological and social), entry into the job market has a fundamental role, marking a new stage of life. Hence, this study seeks to analyse which social representations are present in the speech of young students of a Management course with regard their understanding of the “work”. For this purpose, 120 young university students attending the first semesters of an evening Management course at a university in the south of Brazil were consulted. The responses regarding “what is work” and “what is not work” were written by the informants themselves and later analysed in relation to the frequency with which they occur and their diversity. In general, it is noted that work continues to be understood as the central activity that structures the life of individuals and of society in general, a form of social integration, in which its image prevails as an element that inserts the individual in the environment, capable of leading to personal and professional fulfilment as well as to financial sustenance.

Keywords

• trabalho. representações sociais. jovens universitários. administração.