Opting Out and In

Ingrid Biese is an Academy of Finland Postdoctoral Researcher at the Department of Management and Organisation at the Hanken School of Economics in Helsinki, Finland. After having opted out of a career in consulting, Ingrid started working on a PhD, which she received from the Hawke Research Institute at the University of South Australia. Her primary area of research is opting out and in among both men and women, as well as sustainable working cultures and career models. Ingrid has introduced a new definition of opting out to include leaving mainstream career models to adopt new lifestyles where one can live and work on one’s own terms. Other areas of interest are globalization, individualization, identity and gender. Ingrid regularly gives talks and engages in public debates on sustainable careers and lifestyles, for example through her blog theoptingoutblog.com.

• Introduction: Opting Out and InI.1. A Debated Phenomenon I.2. A Narrative Approach to Studying Opting OutI.3. The NarrativesI.4. Introducing the WomenI.5. The Structure of the Book1. Globalization, Individualization, and Gender in Contemporary Society1.1. Globalization, Technology, and Media 1.2. Post-traditional, Risk Society1.3. The Effect of Globalization on Working Culture1.4. Gendered Organizations 1.5. Focusing on Work-Life Balance: Problems and Paradoxes1.6. Competing Schemas1.7. Conclusion 2. Lacking Agency, Coherence, and Control2.1. Linn: The Love of Work and the Vitality of Living2.2. Understanding Agency2.3. Naomi and the Wakeup Call of the Emergency Room 2.4. The Importance of Narrative 2.5. Autonomy: An Alternative View 2.6. Conclusion3. Gender and Femininity in Contemporary Society3.1. Amy and the Unexpected Need to Be with Her Children3.2. The Symbolic, Semiotic, and Maternal3.3. Mediated Womanhood3.4. Ella: Stepping Off the Ladder while Staying On at Work 3.5. Contemporary Feminism and the Freedom to Choose3.6. Conclusion4. Opting In4.1. Michelle: The Journey from Incoherence to Coherence and Control 4.2. Reinvention4.3. Nora’s Story: "I pulled the hand brake" 4.4. Reflection, Authenticity, and the Threat to Identity 4.5. Conclusion5. Epilogue: Opting Out and Then What?5.1. Linn: Confidence in Knowing What She Wants5.2. Ella: Back on The Fast Track?5.3. Nora: Getting Her Business Off the Ground5.4. Michelle and the Ebbs and Flows of Life5.5. Amy: Getting Back on the Job Market5.6. Naomi and the Wear and Tear of Constant Transitioning5.7. Opting Out – A Story of Success?

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