“Embodying” dirty work: A review of the literature

Abstract

This article reviews the growing literature on dirty work, i.e., work that is seen as disgusting or degrading and argues for a more “embodied” understanding of such work. It points to a tendency in the literature to focus on the nature of the task or role and on social and moral dimensions of the work at the expense of its material and embodied aspects. The latter are discussed through three, interrelated themes: “embodied suitability” whereby forms of dirty work are seen as suitable for some “working bodies” and not for others; “staining” which is presented as both a material and a symbolic process; and the role of work practices in both supporting and undermining ideological constructions around the work. The article concludes by arguing for a more comprehensive approach which includes both the material and the symbolic into accounts of such work.

Looking over your shoulder: Embodied responses to contamination in the emotional dirty work of prison officers

“…The significant imprint of Douglas’s (1966) conception of dirt and contamination on past research has recently been criticised for focusing exclusively on the symbolic dimension, specifically, workers’ cognitive, ideological tactics to counter occupational taint (Simpson and Simpson, 2018; Simpson et al, 2016). This tendency to prioritise the discursive has privileged positive constructions of dirty work to the extent that current research is at risk of fostering a false optimism regarding worker experiences (Hughes et al, 2017).…”

The Impact of Occupational Stigma on Gig Workers' Workplace Well-being

“…However, whereas previous studies mainly explored the negative impact of occupational stigma on individual's overall well-being, this article enriches the current literature and extends the scope of well-being research by exploring a relatively neglected but more detailed dimension of workplace well-being. Moreover, because previous research on the mechanism of occupational stigma mostly focused on qualitative studies, 12,14,35,50–52 scholars have called for studies from a quantitative perspective 38,49,51,53 . To answer this call, this study collected quantitative data to provide empirical evidence for the research of occupational stigma.…”

Gendered Labour

“…What is seen as dirty work is often divided along gender lines such that cleaning and care are undertaken by women while refuse collection and street cleaning are male domains. Work that is physically tainted or physically dirty may be identified with particular class, race and migrancy characteristics where workers' bodies are seen as being suitable for this kind of work (McDowell, 2009;Wolkowitz, 2006) or what has been called 'suitable embodiment' (Simpson & Simpson, 2018). Privatization and worsening and precarious working conditions and social security since the 1990s have made these jobs even more 'suitable' for migrants than ever.…”