ABSTRACT
This conclusion presents some closing thoughts on the key concepts discussed in the preceding chapters of this book. The book examines three main issues: the variations in the consequences of job loss, the social construction of the self-concept, and the meaning of working. The theory of narrative-identity developed in the book captures the complexity, subtlety and dynamism of the processual construction of the self-concept. The dynamic interplay between the events of lived experience and their interpretation in narrative is also integral to the temporal variations in people's response to job loss and unemployment. Working is primarily important because it sustains a narrative-identity that provides a sense of personal continuity through time. This sense of personal coherence is grounded in and derives from regular activities, cultural discourses, and intersubjective encounters. The book explores some of the ways in which people construct a worthwhile life after losing a job. The book focuses on how individuals cope with and respond to job loss.
