Year of Award
2022
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Type
Master of Arts (MA)
Degree Name
Sociology
Other Degree Name/Area of Focus
Inequality and Social Justice
Department or School/College
Sociology
Committee Chair
James Tuttle
Committee Co-chair
Daisy Rooks
Commitee Members
Elizabeth Hubble
Keywords
Display Work, Sex Work, Service Work, Bikini Barista
Subject Categories
Gender and Sexuality | Social and Behavioral Sciences | Sociology | Work, Economy and Organizations
Abstract
This study compares the experiences of women working in “bikini” coffee stands with women working in "family-friendly" coffee stands. These stands are similar in that customers drive up and purchase coffee through a window. However, bikini coffee stands differ from their family friendly counterparts because they are staffed by scantily-clad women. This study contributes to the existing literature by comparing the experiences of service workers in sexualized and non-sexualized environments. Additionally, this study examines the understudied service job of bikini coffee. Using semi-structured interviews to examine the baristas’ thoughts and experiences surrounding their work, I find that both types of baristas engage in emotionally in-depth relationships, which I refer to as 'quasi-friendships.' The presence of display work complicates the quasi-friendships that bikini baristas have with their customers: it simultaneously intensifies aspects of these relationships that are reminiscent of friendships as well as transactional relationships, ultimately dependent upon tips from customers.
Recommended Citation
Wozniak, Sara R., ""SEXUAL HARASSMENT IS MY JOB": THE IMPACT OF DISPLAY WORK ON BIKINI BARISTA INTERACTIONS" (2022). Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers. 11917.
https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/11917
© Copyright 2022 Sara R. Wozniak
