Working Revisited : Narratives of Work Meaning and Meaningfulness Across Generations

Abstract

"Working" (Terkel, 1974) is a compilation of oral history interviews focused on the meaning individuals ascribe to their work and the meaningfulness individuals derive from their work. Building off Terkel’s (1974) narratives, this project aims to articulate the various meanings of work and experiences of meaningfulness in work for individuals from various generations. Students in HNRS 127 conducted a series of oral history interviews with members of the Silent Generation, the Baby Boomer generation, Generation X, the Millennial generation, and iGen. Interview transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis techniques. The results of this investigation illuminate the various ways that individuals of different ages think about and interact with work. These findings could help employers evaluate if their practices align with the expectations of the individuals currently working in their organizations.