¿Caminando hacia la autonomía? Significados del trabajo de los niños en Alemania

Abstract

The contribution deals with the experiences of working children aged 9-14 years of a German city and the meanings they ascribe to their work. The qualitative study is based upon an open concept of work which includes unpaid work as well as paid work. What matters most for children concerning their work is being able to act independently and finding approval for it. They prefer an adequate payment as a form of recognition, but money is not a necessary or the only motive for working. Children attitude towards their work differs according to the chance it offers to perform their skills, to the concrete use it has to others and to the appreciation of adults in their social environment. Work is not regarded as competing with school, but as an additional chance for gaining new experiences and expanding their scope of activities. Work experience can become an important element of the children’s participative autonomy. Thus it can potentially strengthen their social status and encourage girls and boys to play an active role in society.