The Identity Work of Craft Beer Workers

• In Event: 2451 - Section on Organizations, Occupations, and Work Refereed Roundtables (1 hour)
  In Refereed Roundtable 60min: Table 12. Work Identities

Abstract

How can consumer culture affect workplace identity? Recent scholars have been interested in how workplace culture is increasingly blending with consumer culture. The same passions that animate consumers should also animate the labor of workers. Craft beer marks a great case for studying. This paper analyzes the discourse of workers--how they describe the things they like and do not like in the course of their work. Findings show they often use a similar language from the craft beer consumer culture to explain the pleasure in their work. Moreover, even workers with low autonomy found intrinsic pleasure in the work, apparently by identifying with the consumption of craft beer.

Author

• Christopher Shane Elliott, University of North Carolina Wilmington