The aim of this study is to construct a life course perspective as a detailed theoretical and conceptual framework, from which the reorganisation of time throughout an individual's working life und mutual relationship between working time options and ...
The aim of this study is to construct a life course perspective as a detailed theoretical and conceptual framework, from which the reorganisation of time throughout an individual's working life und mutual relationship between working time options and social security structures are analysed. An issue of crucial concern is how employees can improve their quality of life by more successfully balancing their working and private lives, obligations, needs and interests.
First, the life course perspective, which is theoretical and conceptual background of this study, represents a major innovation in an approach to understanding complex social phenomena, making time, context and process core theoretical dimensions of social behaviour. One of main features of the life course approach is to acknowledge the crucial role that time plays in understanding of individual behaviour and structural changes in society. Another important dimension fo the life course approach is its attempt to take holistic view; the analysis no longer focuses on specific events, phases or demographic groups as discrete and fixed but considers whole life span as the basic framework for analysis. The life course approach looks at life-course as a whole and to underlie the importance of all life spheres in terms of the quality of life. It takes into account that people usually combine labour market participation with other activities throughout their working life course. To employ a life course perspective therefore means to acknowledge that life courses are both individually and socially constructed, and that they are subject to historical change.
Second, the central units of analysis in this study are time arrangements from a working life course perspective. Time arrangements are defined as particular combinations of elements related to paid work and non-work or personal time at relevant stages of the working life-course and throughout the whole working life-course. These combinations are the outcome of individual and collective preferences and needs, on the one hand, and of institutional options or constraints, on the other. To analyse employee's interests and needs over the life course, which is related to labour market participation and working time, man has to understand that life courses have changed. The traditional life courses are standardized and institutionalized with three-fold division into the phases of education, paid work and retirement. This life course structure has based on normal labour relationship and male breadwinner model. But in modern society its basis is eroded and life courses develop into much more diverse patterns. The timing of the different life phases and of the transitions is less clear. Moreover, they are often no longer sequential phases, but occur simultaneously. This changes require a new way of handling the time over the life course. Of central interests is hereby the question of how employees can improve their quality of life in a life course perspective. This discussion has attempted to answer the core question of the currently dominant structure of working life course and the role of working time options in time arrangement.
Third, the existing social security system can be regarded as a crucial factor influencing men's and women's working time patterns and income situation in various life stages. An investigation of the relationships between time options or arrangements over the lifer course and social security actually has to consider the mutual influences between the welfare state regime, the broad range of possible time options and the implications of different time options on social security in a certain regime type. Various time options can have different implications for the individual's social security protection, but also for the welfare system and its financial sustainability.