Abstract

STECHER, Antonio. Identity Profiles of Workers in Large Retail Companies in Santiago, Chile: Psychosocial Contributions to the Understanding of Labor Identities. Psykhe [online]. 2012, vol.21, n.2, pp.9-20. ISSN 0718-2228.

The article presents the results of a qualitative study on the labor identities on stores' employees of large and modernized retail companies (supermarkets, department stores, home improvement stores) in Santiago, Chile. The stories of a non probabilistic, purposive and opinatic sample of 18 workers are analyzed, divided into 4 groups according to gender and generation criteria: 5 women and 4 men under 40 years and 5 women and 4 men over 45 years. The information generated through in-depth interviews was analyzed using the holistic-content mode of narrative analysis, looking to rebuild the plot and the overall meaning of the workers' identitary narratives. Three identity profiles are presented that were reconstructed inductively from the cases analyzed: occupational identity, worker identity and strategic-entrepreneurial identity. The heterogeneity of work identities in retail stores is discussed, along with the way they are heavily influenced by the biographic course of workers and by working conditions in the stores.

Keywords : work; labor identity; identity profile; retail; Chile.

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