Secure in our Masculinities: A Phenomenological Investigation of Private Security Work in Ottawa

Abstract

This dissertation explains why people work in lousy jobs in the private security industry, as illustrated by a case study of this work in Ontario, Canada. This industry has experienced rapid growth worldwide for decades and is a significant and intrusive part of many lives. Private security worker jobs are precarious, usually poorly paid, offer few benefits and require long and erratic hours. It is a lousy job that requires both endurance Pete (d. 2019). He was in a Master's program and we were discussing some of the books that he and I had both read. He commented, "You read more books than me, and I'm a grad student. You should go back to school!" After decades of shitty working-class jobs, even grad studies sounded like a good idea.As a sociologist, I depend on the generosity of the participants in my research. I had done very little work in the private security industry and lived solely on the West Coast before moving to Ottawa for my PhD. I am grateful for the workers and managers in the industry who gave me access and shared their experiences, thoughts and feelings with me during my research.My committee changed slightly in the final year of my work. Susan Braedley worked with me to clarify my arguments and hammer the dissertation into its final form.Alexis Shotwell and Janet Siltanen provided critical and generous input where needed.Jackie Kennelly welcomed me to Carleton and guided me through much of the research.All of them were both supportive and inspirational in many different ways. This dissertation was an opportunity to develop my activism as well as my thinking and writing. They helped me stay on track to complete my PhD while also supporting my broader engagement in our shared community and my propensity to cause problems for the 'powers that be'. iv I arrived in a department and a city full of lively and intense intellectual, political and cultural projects. Rodney Nelson helped me move to Ottawa and showed me the bizarre maze of hallways and offices that constitute the Loeb buildings. Dingding helped welcome me to Ottawa and with Klaus and their daughter, Kate continue to be part of my community here. Paula Whissell and the rest of the departmental staff are essential to many academic projects including mine. Many professors, such as Jane Parpart, Zhiqui Lin, and Billy Flynn, were significant supports throughout my PhD.I was lucky to enter with a cohort of grad students who came together with all their different perspectives and passions. I recall one student visiting from another university who attended one of our doctoral seminars and afterwards commented, "That was amazing! There was actual critical sociology happening in there!" Some of my classmates and friends who provided essential support during my studies include Amanda