ABSTRACT
The conclusion draws together the arguments from the previous chapters to refute recent suggestions that contemporary work is no longer a key source of meaning. If Bauman and Sennett’s arguments about contemporary employment were correct, we would expect the interviewees’ accounts of their work to exhibit disinterestedness, lack of connection, and a focus on the pleasures of consumption as the reward of employment. We would anticipate lifeless, procedural accounts of work. Instead we have observed individuals with compelling accounts of the highs and lows of their working lives. Some vividly describe the satisfaction that comes when a project is completed successfully, or the sense of belonging they experience in their workplace. For others, it is the accounts of betrayal and disappointment that contain the most feeling. The experiences and types of work are diverse and along with engagement and satisfaction there is much frustration and discontent. But it is clear that work continues to have a significant impact on people, particularly with regard to whether or not their efforts are recognized and valued. Consumption has not replaced work as the primary source of fulfilment and self-identity. A key reason for this is that the vocation myth and the work ethic have a powerful hold on the collective imagination of contemporary Australians.
