Job Loss, Identity, and Mental Health

Our jobs are often a big part of our identities, and when we are fired, we can feel confused, hurt, and powerless—at sea in terms of who we are. Drawing on extensive, real-life interviews, Job Loss, Identity, and Mental Health shines a light on the experiences of unemployed, middle-class professional men and women, showing how job loss can affect both identity and mental health.

Sociologist Dawn R. Norris uses in-depth interviews to offer insight into the experience of losing a job—what it ...