Flexible Hours and Fragile Stability: The Habitus of the Self-Employed in the Information Society

In this paper, the author raises the problem of the social habitus of the self-employed, a complex maze of internal attitudes imbibed through the fabric of everyday life. The behavior of the self-employed person becomes a reflection of a special style of thinking that expresses individuality through every detail of daily activity and every choice of life path. The sociological research data obtained during the survey of the self-employed (N = 300) demonstrate the high expectations of the self-employed regarding the improvement of the quality of professional activity and increase in income. The reasons influencing the formation of the habitus of the self-employed are the legalization of professional activity, reduction of administrative barriers, flexibility of work schedule, individual initiative and responsibility. At the same time, the lack of full-fledged social security, problems with lending and vulnerability to unscrupulous customers are negative consequences of the habitus of the self-employed. The author concludes that the habitus of the self-employed is characterized by a high degree of individual freedom and mobility, but at the same time has risks of instability and emotional burnout. The habitus of the self-employed is associated with lifestyle and related practices that are associated with instability, impermanence, and insecurity, while responding to uncertainty in the future.