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Reinventing Perceptions of Campus Blue-Collar Employees

This session explores personal perceptions of blue-collar workers on campus and discusses strategies to give them a voice. The presenter shares insights from a custodial dissertation study.

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Reinventing Perceptions of Campus Blue-Collar Employees

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  1. That’s Dirty Talk! Reinventing Our Perceptions of Campus Blue-Collar Employees ACPA Conference April 1, 2014 Jeremy Reed Phd Student, University of Iowa jeremy-reed@uiowa.edu

  2. Session Overview Learning Objectives Overview- 1 minute One Minute Free Write and Discussion- 5 minutes Presenter Introduction/Background/Positionality- 5 minutes Discussion of Presenter’s Custodial Dissertation Study- 20 minutes Large Group Discussion “How are blue-collar workers treated on your campus?” -10 minutes Wrap-up/Questions -5 minutes

  3. Session Learning Outcomes Session Participants will: Explore their personal perceptions of campus blue-collar workers. Gain a basic understanding of blue-collar identity theory. Discuss strategies for privileging the voice of campus blue-collar employees on their own campus.

  4. One Minute Free WriteWhat words come to mind when you think of the blue-collar workers on your campus?

  5. Free Write Share Discuss in small groups. Anyone care to share with the entire group?

  6. Presenter Background & Positionality 16 years of student affairs work acrossadmissions, career services, orientation, advising, and residence life functional areas First-Gen, blue-collar/working-class background Work with maintenance/custodial staff on a student paint crew as an undergrad 11 months of dissertation research on campus custodians Philosophical Frame: Critical Theory: Master Narratives & Counter Narratives

  7. Why study campus blue-collar workers? Inclusivity Student Success Employee Motivation/Organizational Efficiency

  8. Critical Questions: What do custodians think of college students? What impact might interactions with students have on custodians’ work lives and occupational esteem? Do interactions between students and custodians have implications for college student success?

  9. Absence of academic studies of campus custodians Why? (Critical Theoretical Explanation??) Okay, so what about related fields/literature???? Communication Studies Blue-Collar Identity Theory College Student Development/Success Faculty/Staff-Student Interactions & Mentoring Literature

  10. Blue-Collar Identity Theory(Hughes, 1962; Ashforth & Kreiner, 1999) Dirty Work: “Tasks and occupations that are likely to be perceived as disgusting or degrading” (Hughes, 1962).

  11. Blue-Collar Identity Theory(Hughes, 1962; Ashforth & Kreiner, 1999) Types of stigma or taint: -Physical Taint: Jobs dealing with garbage, human waste, death. Janitors -Social Taint: Interactions with socially stigmatized people. Prison guards -Moral Taint: Perceived as “sinful.” Pawn brokers, exotic dancers

  12. Blue-Collar Identity Theory(Hughes, 1962; Ashforth & Kreiner, 1999) Dirty workers have surprisingly high occupational esteem. Relationships with others provide an esteem-enhancing function.

  13. Relationships as a Counterbalance to Custodial Staff “Dirty Work” Stigma “Dirty Work” Stigma Occupational Esteem Relationships Blue-Collar Identity Characteristics

  14. Student-Faculty Interaction/Mentoring Studies Interactions between students, faculty, and staff positively impact student success in college. (Kuh & Huh, 2001; Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005; Crisp & Cruz, 2009; Nora & Crisp, 2007; Campbell, Smith, Dugan & Komives, 2012)

  15. Student-Faculty Interaction/Mentoring Studies There are important academic(Kuh & Ku, 2001) and emotional dimensions of student-faculty interactions (Schreinter, et al., 2011; Museus & Neville, 2012) and mentoring relationships. Mentoring can be formal/informal, structured/unstructured, short-term/long-term, sanctioned/unsanctioned (Nora & Crisp, 2007).

  16. A Custodial Staff Dissertation Study Primary Research Questions: In what ways do three campus custodians interact with students during their work day at a large public university? In what ways do those custodians talk about their interactions with students?

  17. Case Study Research Design Three Participants Particularity v. Generalizability!!!!! Depth v. Breadth

  18. Participant Characteristics Participant Inclusion Criteria English-speaking custodians, employed full-time in University Housing for at least 1 year Willing to talk! Recruitment Strategy Referrals from Director of Housing

  19. Data Collection • Participant Observation • 3-5 non-sequential work days per informant • Field journal as primary data collection tool • “Guiding Questions” Semi-Structured Interview • Conduct 60-90 minute interview mid-way through participant observation • Artifact Analysis • Describe the nature of college student-related artifacts informants possess

  20. Data Analysis &Verification • Reflexive Writing • Duel note-taking, memo writing, taking notes on my own notes • What surprises, intrigues, and disturbs me about what I observe? • Data Sorting & Coding • Themes from literature review • Blue-Collar Theory, Typology of Faculty-Student Interactions • Member Checking • Clarifying questions occur throughout participant observation • Disconfirming Examples • Data Saturation

  21. Research Methods

  22. Assigned and Assumed Duties of Custodians as Institutional Agents Employee Assumed Duties -Student Mentoring and Support Interactions Direct Support of Institutional Mission Informally Performed Campus Custodian --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Formally Performed Indirect Support of Institution Assigned Duties -Cleaning and Maintenance

  23. Potential Influence of Assigned and Assumed Duties of Custodians as Institutional Agents Employee Assumed Duties -Student Mentoring and Support and Interactions Student Interactions Positive Esteem Direct Support of Institutional Mission Informally Performed Campus Custodian --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Formally Performed Negative Esteem Indirect Support of Institution Assigned Duties -Cleaning and Maintenance Social Stigma

  24. Recap We should care about custodians as a matter of inclusivity and potential students success and employee motivation outcomes. Interactions with students might positively influence custodial staff occupational esteem and by extension, organizational efficiency. Interactions with custodiansmight positively influence student success, as suggested by the emotional components of student-staff interactions/mentoring.

  25. Large Group Discussion Do you have anything to share about blue-collar workers on your campus?

  26. Questions?Suggestions?

  27. Please Rate This Session in Guidebook Find this session in Guidebook Scroll to bottom and click on “Rate this session” Complete Session Feedback Form

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