Precarious Work, Health, and African-American Men: A Qualitative Study on Perceptions and Experiences

Precarious work has steadily grown in the United States since the rise of neoliberal policies. The continued expansion of this type of work has led to precarious employment as a recognized category within social determinants of health work and to a growing literature within public health research. African-American men are disproportionately vulnerable to precarious work, which in turn contributes to adverse health effects. Nevertheless, African-American men's experiences of employment and the perceived impact on their well-being remain underexplored. This study was part of the formative exploratory phase of a 5-year community-based participatory research project to examine the biopsychosocial determinants of stress among low/no-income, African-American men. Through thematic analysis of 42 semi-structured interviews, 3 themes emerged: (a) occupational hazards and health, (b) internalization of neoliberal ideology, and (c) constraints of structural factors. Neoliberal economic policies cause material deprivation and exacerbate systemic injustices that disproportionately affect communities of color. The accompanying neoliberal ideology of personal responsibility shapes men's perceptions of success and failure. Public health research must continue to push against health promotion practices that predominantly focus on individual behavior. Rather than exploring only the granularities of individual behaviors, health problems must be examined through prolonged historical, political, economic, and social disenfranchisement.