Are overqualified workers "unfairly" denied the social recognition they deserve? This is one of the questions on which Sergio Clavero, researcher of the project 'Emotional culture and identity' of the Institute for Culture and Society of the University of Navarra, during a research stay at the School of Philosophy and Art History of the University of Essex, in Colchester (UK).

For three months, the researcher has delved into the topic of social recognition, focusing on two ideas: on the one hand, whether the links that exist between the individual and social institutions are relations of recognition and, on the other hand, whether workers forced to accept jobs that are below their level of qualification receive less social recognition than they deserve.

These questions arise from Clavero's doctoral thesis , which focuses on the relationship between ties, identity and normativity in Axel Honneth's theory of recognition, "one of the most prominent authors of the tradition of thought known as 'Critical Theory,'" explained researcher.

Experts in Critical Theory

According to him, the University of Essex is home to the most important group of research in Critical Theory in the United Kingdom. Thus, Clavero has extended his research by attending the sessions of the Critical Theory Colloquium, where he also presented the text 'Overqualification as misrecognition'. In this context, he has been able to learn first-hand about other dynamics of work, has outlined his own positions and arguments and has discovered new topics and approaches.

"Among the benefits of the stay are not only the progress made in my research, but also having established a contact with prestigious researchers in my field," he said. He highlighted names such as Fabian Freyenhagen, Timo Jütten, Jörg Schaub and Thomas Khurana.

He said that the best part of the stay was the opportunity to talk extensively with these experts on issues related to his thesis . "All of them have been more than willing to continue at contact to discuss future developments of my work and to suggest possible stays," he added. In addition, this support has allowed him to deepen his research for future publications and grants.