“It’s Work That Has to be Done”: Finnish school children working during their summer holiday

Abstract

This article concentrates on Finnish school children’s work during their summer holiday, offering a contribution to the understanding of the meanings of work for children and the contexts in which it takes place. Based on interviews with children, the article focuses on the
relation of work to other activities in children’s everyday life, in particular school work. The meanings for the children of paid work in the summer holiday stem from comparing, with school work and with what adults do as their job. An adult work context is experienced as rewarding, as well as being needed, doing “real” work, that is being able to replace adults in their jobs for some time.