Significado do trabalho para trabalhadores da construção civil

The meaning of work is a construct that has been studied more systematically from the 80s, through various approaches and in different occupational categories. This dissertation aims to describe and discuss the meanings of work for construction workers. This is an empirical study whose research supports herself in the Model Attributes Meaning of Work and its respective instrument for measuring the Meaning of Work Inventory (STI). The research involved 402 workers in the construction industry sector in the two capitals of the Brazilian Northeast, with a mean age of 35.8 years (SD = 11.4). To collect the data, besides the IST, the Working Conditions Questionnaire and sociodemographic data were also used. Data were organized and analyzed using the SPSS program. The study used data analysis techniques to Smallest Space Analisys (SSA), descriptive statistics, correlation and analysis of variance. There was evidence of validity of the STI which was structured into five types of value attributes (what work should be), and seven types of descriptive attributes (what is working). The results showed that the work has high centrality and profiling for participants after the family, the most important aspect in the lives of workers. Aspects of personal and economic growth were more emphasized in definition of what the work should be and responsibility and effort were characteristics that best described the reality of work.