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Sacrifice and distinction in dirty work: men’s construction of meaning in the butcher trade

Author

Listed:
  • Ruth Simpson

    (Brunel University, UK)

  • Jason Hughes

    (University of Leicester, UK)

  • Natasha Slutskaya

    (Brunel University, UK)

  • Maria Balta

    (Brunel University, UK)

Abstract

Through a study of the butcher trade, this article explores the meanings that men give to ‘dirty work’, that is jobs or roles that are seen as distasteful or ‘undesirable’. Based on qualitative data, we identify three themes from butchers’ accounts that relate to work-based meanings: sacrifice through physicality of work; loss and nostalgia in the face of industrial change; and distinction from membership of a shared trade. Drawing on Bourdieu, we argue that sacrifice and distinction help us understand some of the meanings men attach to dirty, manual work – forming part of a working-class ‘habitus’. Further, these assessments can be both ‘reproductive’ and ‘productive’ as butchers reinforce historically grounded evaluations of work and mobilize new meanings in response to changes in the trade.

Suggested Citation

  • Ruth Simpson & Jason Hughes & Natasha Slutskaya & Maria Balta, 2014. "Sacrifice and distinction in dirty work: men’s construction of meaning in the butcher trade," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 28(5), pages 754-770, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:woemps:v:28:y:2014:i:5:p:754-770
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    Cited by:

    1. Peter Hamilton & Tom Redman & Robert McMurray, 2019. "‘Lower than a Snake’s Belly’: Discursive Constructions of Dignity and Heroism in Low-Status Garbage Work," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 156(4), pages 889-901, June.
    2. Natasha Slutskaya & Ruth Simpson & Jason Hughes & Alexander Simpson & Selçuk Uygur, 2016. "Masculinity and Class in the Context of Dirty Work," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 23(2), pages 165-182, March.

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