Dissertations and Theses @ UNI
Availability
Open Access Thesis
Keywords
Inventories, Retail--Iowa; Inventories, Retail; Women service industries workers; Iowa;
Abstract
The American workplace has gone through numerous changes in the Twentieth century. One of the most significant changes is the role of women in the workplace. The role of women in the modern workplace is vastly different from their role in the beginning of the Twentieth century. The changing role of women in the workplace is present in the biggest sector to grow in employment in the last 20 years: the service industry. The lack of significant research of the women's role in the service industry warrants sociological exploration of this area of employment for women. This thesis is an ethnographic study of the experiences of women in the contingent service industry. The research is conducted at an inventory company entitled Counters, Inc. The research is compiled from ethnographic interviews, participant observation, and subject diaries. This research explores the elements of job satisfaction, job dissatisfaction, alienation, and resistance to alienation. Job satisfaction is examined in the type of store inventoried, the flexible hours, work relationships, higher hourly pay, and being treated with respect. Job dissatisfaction by looking at low income, a lack of financial security, strict managerial supervision, inadequate fringe benefits, and a lack of challenge in the workplace. Alienation is discussed by exploring the elements of powerlessness, meaninglessness, social alienation, and self-estrangement. Finally, this research examines the resistance strategies taken by women to overcome alienation in the contingent workplace. This study is concluded with an examination of the contingent service industry workplace. It looks at the current situation facing women in this industry. It examines policies that could be implemented to change the contingent workplace as well as where further sociological research can be explored in this work genre.
Year of Submission
2000
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Department
Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminology
First Advisor
Phyllis Baker
Second Advisor
Jerry Stockdale
Third Advisor
Ron Roberts
Date Original
2000
Object Description
1 PDF file (75 leaves)
Copyright
©2000 Cheryl L. Buchholz
Language
en
File Format
application/pdf
Recommended Citation
Buchholz, Cheryl L., "Counting It All and Counting for Something: An Exploration of Women in the Contingent Service Industry" (2000). Dissertations and Theses @ UNI. 2240.
https://scholarworks.uni.edu/etd/2240
Comments
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