Wilfrid Laurier University Scholars Commons @ Laurier Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive) 2021 WORKING JOBLESSNESS: YOUNG PEOPLE DEPLOYING 21ST CENTURY SKILLS IN POST-CONFLICT LIBERIA AND SIERRA LEONE Frances Fortune
[email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://scholars.wlu.ca/etd Part of the Economics Commons, and the Work, Economy and Organizations Commons Recommended Citation Fortune, Frances, "WORKING JOBLESSNESS: YOUNG PEOPLE DEPLOYING 21ST CENTURY SKILLS IN POST-CONFLICT LIBERIA AND SIERRA LEONE" (2021). Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive). 2376. https://scholars.wlu.ca/etd/2376 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive) by an authorized administrator of Scholars Commons @ Laurier. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. WORKING JOBLESSNESS: YOUNG PEOPLE DEPLOYING 21ST CENTURY SKILLS IN POST-CONFLICT LIBERIA AND SIERRA LEONE Katherine Frances Barclay Fortune Submitted to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Dissertation In partial fulfillment of the requirements of Ph.D. in Global Governance at Balsillie School of International Affairs Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Ontario © Katherine Frances Barclay Fortune Abstract In Liberia, state economic development policies based on the resource extractive industry's short-term needs have produced too few job opportunities for young people. The development policies have failed to grow the private sector to create jobs, recognize the importance of urbanization, or expand the informal economy's contribution to employment in urban areas. As a result, young people are obliged to use their creativity and digital connections to make a living outside of the normative models of work using an organic social process of bricolage.