The recent upsurge in populism, coupled with the loss of trust in government, has been linked to the collapse of the socio-economic bargain made in the 1980s that promised prosperity in return for globalization.
While clearly an important contributing factor, one aspect has been completely ignored; identity. To the extent that we have historically seen our identity constructed around what we do, and in particular what we do for a living, our identities are being assaulted by upheaval in the labor market.
When careers in a clearly defined field that lasted a lifetime are being replaced by jobs in a swirling, ever-changing gig-economy, identity can no longer be constructed from what we do for a living. And so in addition to a failed social contract, we have a broad swathes of society experiencing an identity crisis.
(And a testable proposition that follows from this is that in areas where old stable jobs are disappearing faster, opioid addition will be higher).
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