The promise of freedom at work and the precariousness facing young people

interview with Carlos Jesús Fernández Rodríguez

Abstract

In an interview conducted on March 5, 2026, Carlos Jesús Fernández Rodríguez – a sociologist and professor at the Autonomous University of Madrid – analyzes the historical development of the promise of freedom at work and the tensions surrounding it within contemporary capitalism. The author traces its origins to the cultural transformations of the 1960s, when countercultural values, such as autonomy, creativity, and the rejection of rigid hierarchiesl, began to be incorporated into corporate discourse, particularly following the crisis of Fordism in the 1970s. This process consolidated a more flexible form of productive organization, shaped by both countercultural critique and neoliberal thought. However, the economic context of the 21st century does not fully sustain these expectations. The interview reveals that, while youth remains linked to ideals of fulfillment and freedom at work, young people face a labor market defined by precarity, fragmentation, and uncertainty -- conditions intensified by digital platforms and the emphasis placed on individual entrepreneurship. The discussion also addresses the role of social media in fragmenting collective experiences and shaping unstable career paths. Finally, the author evaluates the adoption of progressive rhetoric by companies, arguing that such initiatives function largely as symbolic positioning strategies rather than altering the structural logic of profit maximization.