THE SOCIAL WORLD OF DIRTY WORK
THE SOCIAL WORLD OF DIRTY WORK

Summary/Abstract: Based on the idea of the existence of two worlds from Goffman's perspective (2003), workplaces can be good or bad, clean or dirty, first-hand or second-hand. This article examines how dirt is a component of work order and how removing dirt influences the social process of producing cleanliness. In this regard, we conducted 14 semi-structured interviews with cleaners, both from the execution team and from the management team. The method was supplemented by participatory observations and interactions with direct beneficiaries of professional cleaning services provided by a company specializing in this field. In short, work in the cleaning industry can be considered as supporting other types of work. It is an unappreciated job, often carried out by those with few alternatives, viewed as individuals with stigmatizing features. The research aims to distinguish between cleaning work and how cleaning work is socially produced, and understanding how cleaning agents experience and give meaning to their work is an important part of understanding cleanliness as a social aspect of our lives.

• Details
• Contents