Good work? Scottish cultural workers’ narratives about working and living on islands.

Hesmondhalgh and Baker (2011) ask the question, “Can creative labour be good work?” Good work is defined as having “decent pay, hours and safety; autonomy; interest and involvement; sociality; esteem and self-esteem; self-realisation; work-life balance; security” (17). This list however makes place-neutral assumptions. This paper will explore the difference place, especially islands, makes to cultural workers who chose to live and work on Scottish islands. Specifically, this will look at how the workers’ experiences of different island and interest communities affect the way they narrate their working lives. Do their narratives tell us about good work, or are there impediments on islands that prevent “good work” from happening? Overall, we find that the way experiences are narrated depends upon the rootedness the cultural worker feels toward their island residence.