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Journal Article
Beyond the Company Line: Studying Workplace Inequalities Ethnographically
Research in the Sociology of Work
Author(s)
While scholars have demonstrated persistent gaps in hiring, performance evaluations, and
compensation decisions by gender, race, social class, sexual orientation, disability status, and
other status characteristics, many of the mechanisms driving these effects remain less clear.
Qualitative research, including ethnographic methods, is uniquely poised to fill this gap because
it can illuminate how workplace inequalities are produced and reproduced on the ground. But
studying workplace ethnographically also poses unique methodological challenges and
considerations. In this essay, I outline common issues researchers face, including gaining access,
moving beyond official narratives of organizational practice (“the company line”), and managing
the emotional and psychological burden of witnessing biased or illegitimate behavior. I also
discuss potential strategies for navigating these challenges.
Date Published:
2023
Citations:
Rivera, Lauren. 2023. Beyond the Company Line: Studying Workplace Inequalities Ethnographically. Research in the Sociology of Work. 183-195.