Rare are the spaces where our professional title is of no interest.
It’s common to break the ice by asking others what they do for a living. A question thrown like a pole to get to know each other, a reflex… Or almost.
Do you remember, earlier this winter, I went swimming in the St. Lawrence River with a group that meditates in the (very) cold water? Well, I liked it so much I’ve been going back every week since. So I’ve seen the same people a dozen times, chatting and braving the elements in the name of relaxation.
(It brings closer, want not want.)
A few days ago I realized something amazing. I know the names of my swimming companions, I know that some have three children, that they believe in different gods, like to get up at dawn or ride winter bikes. I know one of them makes lovely sounds when she dives into the water and they all give quality hugs in greeting… But I don’t know what they do professionally.
I formed an idea of them without this information which usually goes without saying.
Finally a space whose work is completely evacuated! Affinities develop, solidarity takes place, but class issues remain at home. No way to even be tempted by a certain hierarchy… The title is so unimportant that no one thinks of naming it.
It’s interesting to guess the values of others through their gestures, rather than their social role. It’s a listening exercise that makes us want to be seen, too, for something other than what earns us a paycheck…
It’s something I want to experience more often.
PHOTO MARCO CAMPANOZZI, PRESS ARCHIVES
Julie Ménard, occupational psychologist and professor in the psychology department at UQAM
Not saying our professional title is like traveling where no one knows us. It can be very destabilizing, but also very liberating. We can adopt behaviors that we don’t normally have… Reinvent ourselves!
Julie Ménard, occupational psychologist and professor in the psychology department at UQAM
Like every time I think about an issue that concerns work and identity, I turned to the work psychologist to better understand what was inside me.
The professor in the psychology department at UQAM first explained to me why we spontaneously want to know what people do in life: “To ask this question is to ask the other what defines him. He will often respond by talking about his work, but he could also say that he is a father or passionate about a sport, for example. In fact, we want to know what his role is in order to position ourselves in relation to it… Because with roles come expectations. »
The value we place on a person does not depend on what he does to put bread on the table, of course. But… are we more inclined to trust a doctor? Notice the creativity of an architect? To expect a prime minister not to party?
That could be.
Moreover, according to Julie Ménard, we are aware of the expectations projected onto ourselves and we tend to act in such a way as to meet them. That being said, the job – which has long been at the heart of our identity – is in the midst of upheaval and its place could be called upon to change.
“We see that there is a change in the world of work, underlines the psychologist. We become more flexible with regard to our job, our place of work, our schedule and perhaps even in the salience of our professional title! It could be that this role is no longer the first that comes to define our identity. »
Beyond the lack of manpower, silent resignations and major recent reorientations, the evolution of the composition of the labor market also has a role to play in this transformation. In Quebec, the employment rate among women was 37.4% in 1976, according to the Quebec Institute of Statistics. In 2022, it was rather 58.3% (64.8% for men).
What is interesting in this is that women are socialized in such a way as to value roles other than that of worker, whether they like it or not. Let us simply think of that of mother or wife. “As there are more women in the labor market, the professional role may have less salience in our identity, to the benefit of other important roles,” suggests Julie Ménard.
Regardless of our gender, we can increasingly define ourselves as a friend, relative or Nordic swimmer, if we like.
Afterwards, it’s not so surprising that my cold-water buddies and I don’t talk about work. If places where work is not worth much remain rare, the circles that are created around a specific activity are more likely to be the lot. It is the common passion that then allows us to identify the others. Maybe this is the case in your hockey league or your book club, for example…
But beware ! The fact remains that we need a point of reference to be comfortable, according to Julie Ménard.
Even if we are more and more flexible, we need a framework to reassure ourselves, to be socially appropriate and not to feel awkward towards others.
Julie Ménard, occupational psychologist and professor in the psychology department at UQAM
This complicates my plan… I thought to myself that we should avoid questioning people about their job to create freer spaces, but this choice could prove to be very uncomfortable, according to the work psychologist.
“We’re so used to people asking us what position we hold that someone might think we’re not interested in them if we don’t! You have to be creative and find another strategy.
– OK ! What could we say to him, then?
– Hum … You can ask the person what she likes to do in life. At worst, she will answer: “My job !”