Experiencing Meaningful Work as a Lower Socioeconomic Status Worker: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis

Abstract

Meta-analytic evidence suggests that experiencing one’s work as meaningful is associated with many psychological benefits. The experience of meaningful work in people with lower socioeconomic status (LSES), however, is underrepresented in the literature. This study examines how LSES individuals describe their experience of meaningful work (MW) in their unique contexts through an interpretative phenomenological analysis approach. Eight LSES workers in the Western United States from diverse backgrounds were interviewed. Data analysis resulted in five domains and 17 nested super-ordinate themes which captured participants’ definitions and experiences of MW, psychosocial and contextual conditions that support or hinder MW, and the impact of MW in their personal lives. LSES individuals navigated their own way to experience MW in their unique contexts despite socioeconomic barriers. Implications for future research and practice for LSES workers are discussed.