ABSTRACT
Although it can be argued that work history information is essentially part of life histories, the idea of collecting specific data related to people’s working lives has received less attention. However, Dex (1991: 13) argues that work history analysis can be used to investigate occupational mobility and to analyse social class, unemployment, stratification and social mobility, the links between education and occupation, the immobility of labour, ageing and early retirement, and ongoing labour market issues. Further suggestions for utilising work history data include sociologists’ interest in changes in the nature of work and conceptualisation of labour markets, and economists’ interest in labour turnover and mobility, the analysis of learning differentials and pay discrimination, and the effects of social policies on labour market experiences and behaviour (Dex 1991: 13). Each of these could be applied to investigating work and labour markets in tourism research. Given the previous criticism that the development of both the life and work history methodology has been hampered by not considering both elements, further research in this area should aim to address this issue. Therefore, both life and work history are considered in relation to potential use in tourism and hospitality research.
