What do you do for a living?: The intersections of dirty work, identity, and identification
Abstract
E.C. Hughes (1958) defines "dirty work" as work perceived as physically, socially, or morally tainted. Individuals engaging in dirty work experience difficulty in constructing an esteem-enhancing identity because of a lack of social acceptance surrounding their occupations (Ashforth & Kreiner, 1999). Yet, they also report celebrating and taking pride in their work (Ackroyd & Crowdy, 1990; Ashforth & Kreiner, 1999; Bolton, 2005; Stacey, 2005). This study sought to answer questions about the nature, meanings, and consequences of being engaged in dirty work by examining the intersections of dirty work, identity, and identification. A case study of a corporation with portable restroom and garbage branches reveals how employees enter the realm of dirty work, conceptualize the meaning of their work, and discuss the nature of their identification in a dirty work organization. A thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews and observation data was conducted along with analysis of an identification questionnaire. The findings demonstrate that dirty workers are cognizant of the stereotypes they face from outsiders, yet seek to perform their work with dignity. They describe the presence of a "dirty work hierarchy" they perceive as operating between and within dirty work industries. This hierarchy means that dirty workers face discrimination twofold: from outsiders as well as from each other. While the main target of identification for dirty workers is the corporation, the organizations themselves do little organizational identification work to manage taint associated with the nature of dirty work. Moreover, this study posits that dirty work may be conceptualized and evaluated based upon the actual versus imagined materialities of the work itself. It is less the actual "dirty" material conditions than the imagined ones that play out in participants' discourse about the reactions others have to their job.
Degree
M.A.
Advisors
Buzzanell, Purdue University.
Subject Area
Communication
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