O Empreendedor de si mesmo e a flexibilização no mundo do trabalho

Abstract

The social existence of individuals, for many of their interpreters - whether the latter resort to religious or political discourses or even certain currents of sociological thought - seems not to be possible without the existence of metanarratives that infuse it with meaning. This article engages in theoretical discussion of the discursive construction of those who act as their own entrepreneurs, as individuals capable of confronting quick and drastic changes occurring within the world of work with the advent of productive flexibilization. We advocate the hypothesis that this discursive construction does not portray a type of individual that is potentially accessible to all, insofar as it refers to a construction that does not involve the support of a shared societal project. In other words, we are looking at a type of individual who is disconnected from social ties and lacking in any type of State- supplied social protection and therefore, cannot provide a universal standard of behavior for a society that seeks to attenuate social inequality.