Historique
Article de Périodique
Alcohol in the workplace: an ethnographic study of professional bartender culture and risk management (2026)
Auteur(s) :
BOIROT, A. ;
LOTTO, M.
Année
2026
Page(s) :
art. 119445
Langue(s) :
Anglais
Domaine :
Alcool
Thésaurus géographique
FRANCE
Thésaurus mots-clés
ETUDE QUALITATIVE
;
ETHNOGRAPHIE
;
ALCOOL
;
MILIEU PROFESSIONNEL
;
DEBIT DE BOISSONS
;
CULTUREL
;
PREVENTION
;
FACTEUR DE RISQUE
;
CONSOMMATION
;
NORME
;
REPRESENTATION SOCIALE
;
COMMERCE
;
PERCEPTION
Autres mots-clés
Résumé :
BACKGROUND: Alcohol consumption among bartenders is higher than in most other professions. However, the cultural and occupational meanings of drinking in this setting are underexplored.
METHODS: Drawing on symbolic interactionism, this ethnographic study explores how bartenders interpret and regulate their alcohol use in their professional environment. Fieldwork was conducted in Marseille, France, in 2023 and included 22 in-depth semi-structured interviews and 320 h of participant observation with 38 bartenders working in 33 independent bars. Data were analysed inductively.
RESULTS: Findings reveal a "professional culture of drinking" where alcohol serves multiple functions: commercial, relational, ritual, and self-regulatory. Bartender drinking was tolerated by all concerned parties (managers, clients, etc.) and was often considered part of their identity, provided that service quality remained unaffected. Consumption frequently occurred in a "grey zone" where personal and professional boundaries were blurred. While most bartenders interviewed recognized the associated risks, they mainly emphasized mental not physical harms. They feared dependence but rarely sought formal healthcare services; instead, informal peer-based regulation and support predominated, together with self-regulation strategies like limiting hours of drinking and using non-alcoholic shots.
CONCLUSIONS: Alcohol use among bartenders cannot be understood solely as a health-risk behaviour; it must be situated within professional norms and social logics. Public health interventions should move beyond prescriptive regulation to co-constructed approaches to prevention that respect occupational culture, valorise existing peer-based moderation practices, and strengthen dialogue between health professionals, employers, and workers. [Author's abstract]
Highlights:
Alcohol-related disorders and related cancer mortality are higher in hotels and restaurants sector.
Bartenders' alcohol use is embedded in a distinct professional drinking culture.
Workplace drinking serves commercial, relational, and self-regulatory functions.
Risk management relies mainly on informal peer regulation rather than formal healthcare.
Effective prevention requires co-constructed interventions respecting occupational culture.
METHODS: Drawing on symbolic interactionism, this ethnographic study explores how bartenders interpret and regulate their alcohol use in their professional environment. Fieldwork was conducted in Marseille, France, in 2023 and included 22 in-depth semi-structured interviews and 320 h of participant observation with 38 bartenders working in 33 independent bars. Data were analysed inductively.
RESULTS: Findings reveal a "professional culture of drinking" where alcohol serves multiple functions: commercial, relational, ritual, and self-regulatory. Bartender drinking was tolerated by all concerned parties (managers, clients, etc.) and was often considered part of their identity, provided that service quality remained unaffected. Consumption frequently occurred in a "grey zone" where personal and professional boundaries were blurred. While most bartenders interviewed recognized the associated risks, they mainly emphasized mental not physical harms. They feared dependence but rarely sought formal healthcare services; instead, informal peer-based regulation and support predominated, together with self-regulation strategies like limiting hours of drinking and using non-alcoholic shots.
CONCLUSIONS: Alcohol use among bartenders cannot be understood solely as a health-risk behaviour; it must be situated within professional norms and social logics. Public health interventions should move beyond prescriptive regulation to co-constructed approaches to prevention that respect occupational culture, valorise existing peer-based moderation practices, and strengthen dialogue between health professionals, employers, and workers. [Author's abstract]
Highlights:
Alcohol-related disorders and related cancer mortality are higher in hotels and restaurants sector.
Bartenders' alcohol use is embedded in a distinct professional drinking culture.
Workplace drinking serves commercial, relational, and self-regulatory functions.
Risk management relies mainly on informal peer regulation rather than formal healthcare.
Effective prevention requires co-constructed interventions respecting occupational culture.
Affiliation :
Aix Marseille Univ, Inserm, IRD, SESSTIM (Economic and Social Sciences of Health and Medical Information Processing), ISSPAM, Marseille, France