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A young person's game: immersion and distancing in bar work
Thomas Conway1, Pádraig MacNeela
1School of Psychology, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland.
Psychology & Health
|February 7, 2012
Summary
Bar work involves an intensive lifestyle with heavy drinking, often integrated into the occupational identity. Many bar workers eventually distance themselves from this lifestyle as the job is typically transient.
Area of Science:
- Occupational Health
- Sociology of Work
- Substance Use Research
Background:
- Bar workers exhibit high alcohol consumption rates.
- The subjective experience of bar work and its health implications remain understudied.
- Understanding the occupational context is crucial for addressing health risks in this sector.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the subjective experiences and meanings associated with bar work.
- To investigate the relationship between the bar work environment and health-related behaviors, particularly alcohol consumption.
- To understand the occupational identity and lifestyle patterns of bar workers.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative study employing focus groups (12 participants) and individual interviews (7 participants).
- Participants included current and former bar workers from a high-density bar district in an Irish city.
- Thematic analysis was used to identify key themes in the data.
Main Results:
- A central theme was immersion in an intensive, high-drinking lifestyle, followed by distancing.
- Strong occupational identity was linked to integrated alcohol use (during and after work).
- The 'superpub' environment intensified this lifestyle, characterized by permissive drinking norms and stress.
Conclusions:
- Bar work fosters a distinct occupational identity intertwined with a specific lifestyle and alcohol use patterns.
- While significant, bar work is often perceived as a transient phase, particularly concerning its intense lifestyle aspects.
- Findings inform research on occupation-specific stress, alcohol use, social identity, and young adult development.
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