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The Cocktail Waitress: Women's Work in a Man's World

by James P. Spradley (Author), Brenda J. Mann (Author)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 19 ratings
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A 1975 classic, this highly readable, in-depth study examines a familiar female role in contemporary American society. The authors apply fieldwork methods to the study of social behavior in a college bar--as viewed from the perspective of cocktail waitresses. They describe in detail the day-to-day lives of women and the meaning of work for women in a man's world. Not a feminist tract, their book provides a wealth of empirical data on the nature of being female in our culture. The Cocktail Waitress examines female/male relationships as well as patterns of male dominance in social interaction, and shows how these are linked to more general issues in anthropology. The work teaches important social science concepts while always dealing with the college student's own world. Its objective presentation of the waitress casts light on significant social issues and the role of women in today's society, together with the manner in which female-male roles are interlocked.
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  1. ISBN-10
    1577665740
  2. ISBN-13
    978-1577665748
  3. Publisher
    Waveland Pr Inc
  4. Publication date
    May 29, 2008
  5. Language
    English
  6. Dimensions
    6 x 0.5 x 9 inches
  7. Print length
    160 pages
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

Other works by James P. Spradley and available from Waveland Press: You Owe Yourself a Drunk: An Ethnography of Urban Nomads (ISBN 9781577660859 and The Cultural Experience: Ethnography in Complex Society, Second Edition (with David W. McCurdy and Dianna J. Shandy) (ISBN 9781577663645). --From the Publisher

"Classic text in an excellent, easy-to-manage format. Students will find it very engaging." -- Katharine Keenan, CUNY, York College --From the Back Cover

"From an academic and in particular a methodological perspective, this ethnographic study of bar culture stands the test of time. The way in which the authors masterfully use evidence to draw conclusions and the vivid descriptions of people, places, and events bring Brady's Bar to life for the reader." --Anthropology of Work Review

From the Publisher

Other works by James P. Spradley and available from Waveland Press: You Owe Yourself a Drunk: An Ethnography of Urban Nomads (ISBN 9781577660859 and The Cultural Experience: Ethnography in Complex Society, Second Edition (with David W. McCurdy and Dianna J. Shandy) (ISBN 9781577663645).

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Waveland Pr Inc (May 29, 2008)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 160 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1577665740
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1577665748
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 8 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.5 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 19 ratings

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  1. Brenda J. Mann

    Brenda J. Mann

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    James P. Spradley

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Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
19 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Dr. George Pollard
5.0 out of 5 stars Women's Work in a Man's World.
Reviewed in the United States on October 7, 2012
Verified Purchase
Enduring story based on a thorough ethnography that ethics committees would never allow, today. Constantly in print since the mid-1970s, "Cocktail Waitress" is interesting, on it's own, but especially useful in university courses where contact with the practices and processes of the quotidian world is as important as theories about such stuff.
3 people found this helpful
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Kate
5.0 out of 5 stars and it was by far my favorite book we read
Reviewed in the United States on July 5, 2015
Verified Purchase
I used this book for an ethnography glass, and it was by far my favorite book we read. It was a great example of how an ethnography can be entertaining as well as analytic.
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HBIGGUY
4.0 out of 5 stars Still as interesting to read as 25 years ago
Reviewed in the United States on June 15, 2008
This was a book I first read in college as part of a socialogy class. To re-read this further removed from the time it was observing was astonishing. While society has moved forward, certain relevancies continue to prove true. For anyone who has ever sat in a bar you will find some part of this book insightful, and right on the money.
Although severly dated, it was fun to read again.
4 people found this helpful
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R. E. Roper
5.0 out of 5 stars life view on hostessing
Reviewed in the United States on February 10, 2015
Verified Purchase
Spradley defined the field of symbolic interactionism. This is one of his early works. Just excellent.
One person found this helpful
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