Waging a Living in Casual Dining Restaurant Chains

<p>Through in-depth interviews with 14 restaurant servers who worked in "casual dining" restaurant chains, this study explores service work and servers' perceptions of restaurant culture. Interactions between servers and customers are examined through the lens of servers' personal experiences. The analysis of interview data focus on how servers understand their role, how "casual dining" restaurant chains try to avoid the appearance of fast food outlets, and how "the customer is always right" slogan affects servers and customers. As a response to difficult and inflexible structural conditions present in restaurant work, servers establish short-lived camaraderie with each other through games, harassment, and deriding low-status customers to get through their shifts. The thesis closes by examining possible ways to combat the effects of this exploitative industry on servers.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

MA (Master of Arts)

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis - unrestricted

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Sociology

Year dc:date.issued

2012

Author dc:creator

• Bower, Hannah Blythe

• customers
• servers
• restaurant chains
• casual dining
• sexual harassment
• games
• Social and Behavioral Sciences
• Sociology
• Work, Economy and Organizations

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright by the authors.

Repository record dc:identifier

https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/1511

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dc.etsu.edu:etd-2704