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

Abstract

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.