Community potentials in the world(s) in reform: Applied anthropology in the context of long-term unemployment
Abstract
The purpose of the paper is to present possible integration of the applied anthropology in the project called Work habits which deals with the lack of employment opportunities and labor market in transition. Main question to response will be: Is it achievable to identify the potential of local communities to generate new job opportunities in the region through qualitative social research? The interdisciplinary project Work habits aims to test the innovative instruments of integration of long-term unemployed people into the labor market.
The project is based on the premise that to understand the context of the local labor market is necessary "a new type of reading "of internal social resources and environmental potential. In accordance with current strategies of reintegration of long-term unemployed, it is not desirable to focus only on the potential associated with specific professional specializations of the unemployed.
Even politics of requalification course and system of subsidy are not able to secure long term employment and to propose effective ways to deal with the labor market in transition. This project offers the innovative component of interdisciplinary collaboration base on the local investigation of social and environmental potentials.
In accordance with the assumptions of contemporary anthropology, social anthropologists and local actors are co-creators of research findings. Anthropological skills and knowledge enables the researchers to describe the social structure of the population in the locality and starts the cooperation with local social actors which provides a good understanding of their needs and the needs of the whole community environment.
Research findings are use to establish cooperation among the representatives of the local community environment when creating or mediating a new job opportunity.