Paid work is a major part of most people’s life. It is therefore important for individuals, and society as a whole, that there is meaning in the work being performed and it is perceived as meaningful. Midwives belong to a category of workers who perceive their work as meaningful. The intention of this qualitative interview study was to explore what six female midwives perceived as the meaning of work from an individual and society perspective. The aim was also to reveal what they perceived as meaningful in their work. By using a phenomenological method the essence of the midwives experiences was revealed. The concept of meaning in this study is to be understood as the aim or value of work. Meaningfulness is the concept used to describe a deeper meaning of work. The theoretical framework is based upon three generalised work aims, working for: 1) Financial resources. 2) Social needs and the need for self fulfilment. 3) Other people’s needs. The result shows that on an individual level the midwives experienced meaning in their work due to its changeable nature, which includes variations in tempo and encounters with different colleagues and patients. The meaning of work on a societal level was to create positive experiences among patients based on how there were treated. Good treatment generates positive images of the health care system and also of having children. Experiences of meaningfulness are based in the patient´s need for the midwives competence, and their involvement in other people’s unique life experience. Midwives value working for other people and benefiting society; this gives them an altruistic attitude towards work. They work with the intimacies of life, and their role influences other people’s lives, which contributes to the midwives feeling of having a meaningful job.
Active participation and social capital are important factors for good health. The underlying components of these terms are; social network, social support and social trust. These are the basis for further discussion of participation in nonprofit organizations and unions. Sweden has a strong cultural tradition of membership in such groups and roughly half of the population work in one.
The aim of this study survey was to monitor student’s participation in study related social activities and examine relations between student’s participation levels and ther overall health. To answer the aim of the study a web survey was sent to all second year students at the School of Sustainable Development of Society and Technology. Of those who received the questionnaire around 20 percent answered.
Results suggested that two thirds of students had taken part in student union activities while about 40 percent had worked in some kind of union organization. The main motives for participation were to meet other people and to build social networks. Due to the fact that the survey data was too small and not equally divided
, statistical significant test could not be performed. Correlations between taking part in union activities or working in student unions and practical support, emotional support or health was not possible to test. However, there were notable connections between both, participation in union activities, and working in a student union, and social trust.