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4 - Age, Gender, and Precarity

The Experience of Late Career Self-Employment

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2024

Elina Meliou
Affiliation:
Brunel University
Joana Vassilopoulou
Affiliation:
Brunel University
Mustafa F. Ozbilgin
Affiliation:
Brunel University
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Summary

The chapter explores the experience of late career self-employment. We adopt an intersectional perspective to theorise the precarity experienced by older self-employed women and provide insights into the societal and organizational structures and norms that shape ageing in employment and everyday life. We illustrate our arguments through three biographical cases of older self-employed women in the United Kingdom. Finally, we discuss the implications of age, gender, and self-employment and conclude with a call for inclusive policy to tackle precarity in self-employment.

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Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2024

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