Being an Entrepreneur and Feeling Vulnerable: Encountering Fragility in the Construction Business in the North of Italy

How do entrepreneurs of the construction business express their vulnerability? Through which narratives? Why and how do they try to cope with the always present risk of their job and with increasingly unstable market conditions which make them more and more vulnerable? The risk of failing in the construction business is high, especially with the economic, political, and structural conditions that the business is facing, and the weight of the businessmen’s decisions and actions increases. It is only through the passion for their job, by keeping their movements and rhythms of work, and by maintaining good trusted relationships that my informants try to cope with this risk. Through their narratives, they exorcise their fears and show their vulnerability. Through my informants’ narratives, daily situations and thoughts, I want to challenge stereotypes linked to power and show how despite, or because, of their position of power my informants often feel vulnerable.