Year of Award
2018
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Type
Master of Arts (MA)
Degree Name
Sociology
Department or School/College
Sociology
Committee Chair
Dr. Kathy J. Kuipers
Commitee Members
Dr. Jackson Bunch, Dr. Elizabeth Hubble
Keywords
Exotic Dancers, Identity Theory, Overcompensation, Social Identity Theory, Womanhood, Motherhood
Publisher
University of Montana
Subject Categories
Gender and Sexuality | Social Psychology and Interaction
Abstract
In this paper I examine the work of exotic dancers in the Rocky Mountain West, focusing on their identities, identity conflict, identity threat, and overcompensation. In over twelve hours of recorded interviews, I asked ten exotic dancers working in Montana about their work, families, and communities as well as their perceptions of themselves and their work. I found that this marginalized group that resides in places that have rural characteristics, often face identity threat because their identities are known within their communities. The identity threat arises as a result of expectations and stereotypes of dancers, and in order to deal with this threat, the informants relied on overcompensation. The informants overcompensated in a myriad of ways that included costuming, exhibiting anger, creating a tough outer exterior, and drug and alcohol use.
Recommended Citation
Sweeney-Summers, Phoenicia S., "Mismatched Identities: Experiencing White Womanhood and White Motherhood as an Exotic Dancer" (2018). Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers. 11228.
https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/11228
© Copyright 2018 Phoenicia S. Sweeney-Summers