Consuming Labor: Charisma and Identity in Music Industry Work

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

Abstract

This paper applies and expands Weber’s theory of charisma to understand why so many people are attracted to working within the music industry. Based on participant observation and interview data, I focus on how personnel in non-artistic roles construct the importance of the music business within the context of routinized work in the record industry. I find that the charisma of artistic production generates a powerful, but short-lived source of commitment for workers. I show how the co-existence of charismatic and bureaucratic qualities plays out in the everyday, informal negotiation of workplace order. The lure of the music industry attracts an oversupply of workers, though participants must learn to convey their excitement according to an informal code of conduct as both consumers and producers. I conclude with thoughts on future research.

Author

• Alexandre Frenette, City University of New York-Graduate Center