creativelabour

In the context of the research project LaPreSc (National Recovery and Resilience Plan “Greece 2.0”, funded by the European Union – NextGenerationEU, Implementation Body: HFRI – Project Number: 16313, Beneficiary: University of Crete), a comprehensive research initiative has been developed, comprising in-depth interviews and a survey on social cohesion and precarious work in the cultural and creative industries (CCIs). This research is currently underway. The survey is designed to collect quantitative data for the two theoretical constructs, with the aim of investigating the relationship between them within these sectors and in a country where research on artistic and creative labor is relatively limited. This paper addresses issues pertaining to job precariousness. It delineates the process of generating observable indicators for its measurement and elucidates the methodological challenges that arise in analyzing this construct and operationalizing it for empirical research purposes.

Creative/cultural sectors are often dominated by working arrangements, learning practises and access mechanisms to professions that do not conform to typical notions of professionalisation and formal dependent work. Conditions in the cultural/creative sectors often reinforce the image of fluid occupational categories and volatile work/professional identities. These include the lack of a regulatory framework for access to the professions, the existence of informal learning pathways, the -simultaneous or successive- multiple job holding with very different working arrangements and the significantly high rates of invisible/unpaid labour.

Paper presented by C. Karakioulafi, S. Theodosiou and C. Kokkinou: “Facing multiple crisis: Employment precarity and coping strategies of Performing Arts and Entertainment professionals in Greece” at the 16th Conference of the European Sociological Association, Porto, August 27-30, 2024

Paper presented by Alexandros Baltzis: “Musical Labour: Methodological issues in surveys using quantitative data” at the 2nd Summer Festival of the International Research Collective, July 12-13, 2024

Work in CCI is characterised by excessive flexibility, as self-employment, freelancing, part
time work, intermittent work, intentional or enforced multi-employment (in other
artistic/creative or non-artistic activities) are the dominant forms of its organisation.