A Wild Ride: Women’s Bar Work in the Calgary Stampede Tents

Date
2023-08
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
This study explores the employment experiences of women who work in the tents during the Calgary Stampede. The findings are drawn from a total of eight qualitative interviews. The data suggest that the women who work in the tents occupy roles that are highly feminized and sexualized. The three main findings of this thesis suggest: first, that the women who were interviewed performed their work within the patriarchal arena of the Calgary Stampede which allows the workers to dismiss the frequently inappropriate behaviour of patrons; second, that the participants operated under a rhetoric of choice which impacted their work experience; and, third, that the distinction the participants made between their work performance and that of “other girls” provided a way that the women made sense of their work.
Description
Keywords
Gender, Stampede, Bartending, Lateral Violence, Women’s Work
Citation
Scalf, J. (2023). A wild ride: women’s bar work in the Calgary Stampede tents (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.