Finding meaning through work: untangling the braided discourses

Abstract

This paper examines the braided discourses of finding meaning through work which is being indirectly promoted by the Job-Career-Calling model, the Spirituality in the Workplace field, and the Positive Psychology movement. We explore the intertextuality of these three areas converging to encourage meaning in life to be found through one‟s work. We then critique this growing discourse and argue that this “finding meaning through work” discourse is unrealistic for many people and is problematic as it is situating work as the default meaning for human existence.