Resort Workers: Adaptations in the Leisure-Work Nexus

Abstract

Sociological studies of the relationship between work and leisure have not yet focused on the arena where the two are juxtaposed most significantly: hospitality workers who manufacture resort leisure. In this article, based on four years of participant observation and in-depth interviewing, we examine four types of resort workers—new immigrants, locals, seekers, and managers—and consider the intertwined role of work and leisure in their lifestyles and careers. Their adaptations run the gamut of the leisure-work nexus, as they incorporate various combinations of materialism and experientialism. Rooted in the drive for subsistence, leisure, and career advancement, these workers' lives range from structure to transience and touch on the interface between motivations, goals, and values in mainstream versus alternative-track lifestyles. We offer extrapolations for how these workers' adaptations reflect broader issues of the American workplace.