A Study of Self-Estrangement Among Fast-Food Workers

Abstract

This study examines self-estrangement, a dimension of alienation, and its attributes among fast-food service workers, while considering participant sociodemographic characteristics. A self-administered online survey, using Amazon MTURK, deployed over two time periods (N=1,513), provides data regarding our novel 12-item self-estrangement scale by fast-food occupation type (cashier, server, cook, shift manager, and general manager) and sociodemographic covariates. Preliminary analysis shows that a salaried position and those with a postbaccalaureate education experience lower levels of self-estrangement than their colleagues. Cashiers and cooks experience higher levels of self-estrangement relative to those in other positions. This study offers unique contributions to the conceptualization and operationalization of a dimension of alienation specific to self-estrangement, facilitating greater understanding of the fast-food labor sector, its organization, and the state of its workers