Distinction and Status in the Firehouse: How Firefighters Maintain Boundaries and Earn Prestige

• In Event: 365 - Section on Sociology of Culture Roundtable Session
  In Refereed Roundtable: Table 15. Working Cultures

Abstract

Drawing upon 3000+ hours of participant observation as a volunteer firefighter and thirty interviews with firefighters, I explore how distinction and status are interrelated but often incongruous concepts. Distinction is rooted in achievement relative to institutional symbolic boundaries. Prestige or status exists in the minds of others and can be gained through respect, integration, and belonging. Working inductively, I draw upon my observations and interviews to show how status and distinction function in encounters to produce inequality in the context of the fire service. I contribute to an understanding of how inequality processes transpire in face-to-face interactions and in small organizations. Theoretically, I propose a conceptual framework that demonstrates how status and distinction can be employed as complimentary concepts for explaining inequality in encounters.

Author

• Roscoe C. Scarborough, University of Virginia