Crafty women: exploring how southeastern female brewers navigate emotional labour within the craft beer industry

ABSTRACT

This study explores lived experiences of southeastern American women craft brew professionals with regards to anger and emotional labour within the craft beer industry. Informed by feminist epistemology, semi-structured interviews were conducted to understand the emotional labour of female craft beer professionals resulting in a dynamic and innovative arts-based analysis. Participants discussed their love of the industry and provided insights into unforeseen issues of motherhood, safety, and sexual violence. The motivations behind the leisure pursuits of brewing were complex, which lead to actively engaging in both outward anger and coping strategies resulting in three overarching stanzas, (1) anger as a catalyst, (2) the bridge, and (3) coping mechanisms. Highlighting and giving a platform for women in the craft beer industry to share their narratives, this study creates a dialogue around the complexities and struggles women endure by shedding light on the emotional labour experiences and their ongoing struggles.

KEYWORDS:

• Women craft brewers
• craft beer industry
• structural arc
• emotional labour

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 Infection in craft brewing refers to a presence of undesirable microorganisms in the beer that presents as off-flavors, hazes, and acidity.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Sarah Frankel

Sarah Frankel is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Retail, Hospitality, and Tourism Management at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Her research interests focus on qualitative methodologies, the tattooed community, alternative hedonism, and anything that is truly outrageous!

Stefanie Benjamin

Stefanie Benjamin, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor in the Retail, Hospitality, and Tourism Management department at the University of Tennessee. Her research agenda lies within the nexus of social equity and critical tourism scholarship exploring marginalized populations’ lived experiences and counter-narratives. She is interested in producing and promoting social advocacy while amplifying underrepresented voices within the tourism landscape through practice, research, and education. This research falls under the umbrella of Tourism RESET where she serves as Co-Director and Research Fellow.

Carrie Stephens

Carrie Ann Stephens, Ph.D. is a professor and leadership educator in the Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communications at the University of Tennessee. She teaches courses in leadership development and theory, women in leadership, supervisory leadership, and ethical leadership. Her research and teaching focus areas are women in leadership, teaching and learning (as it relates to leadership), and leadership development in higher education.