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.
","abstract_html":"<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>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Bower, Hannah Blythe"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"MA (Master of Arts)","degree_level":"Thesis - unrestricted","degree_discipline":"Sociology","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2012,"date_issued":"2012-12-15T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2012-12-15T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:20:42Z","subjects":["customers","servers","restaurant chains","casual dining","sexual harassment","games","Social and Behavioral Sciences","Sociology","Work, Economy and Organizations"],"languages":[],"rights":["Copyright by the authors."],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/1511","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Bower, Hannah Blythe"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2012-12-15T08:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Sociology"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis - unrestricted"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["MA (Master of Arts)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["customers","servers","restaurant chains","casual dining","sexual harassment","games","Social and Behavioral Sciences","Sociology","Work, Economy and Organizations"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["Copyright by the authors."]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://dc.etsu.edu/context/etd/article/2704/viewcontent/BowerH112712f.pdf","https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/1511"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["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.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Waging a Living in Casual Dining Restaurant Chains"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:creator":["Bower, Hannah Blythe"],"dc:date.issued":["2012-12-15T08:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["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.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://dc.etsu.edu/context/etd/article/2704/viewcontent/BowerH112712f.pdf","https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/1511"],"dc:rights":["Copyright by the authors."],"dc:subject":["customers","servers","restaurant chains","casual dining","sexual harassment","games","Social and Behavioral Sciences","Sociology","Work, Economy and Organizations"],"dc:title":["Waging a Living in Casual Dining Restaurant Chains"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Sociology"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis - unrestricted"],"thesis:degree_name":["MA (Master of Arts)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:20:42Z"}