Connecting Personal Biography and Social History: Women Casino Workers and the Global Economy

Abstract

Notes that economic globalization has been described as the "most fundamental redesign of the planet's political and economic arrangements since as least the industrial revolution" (J. Mander, 1996). This study explored its implications in the lives of a group of women casino workers. Based on a qualitative study in which data were collected from 45 key informants (current and former casino workers, social service providers, labor organizers, economists, community leaders, and personnel associated with a university-based gaming research institute), 5 focus groups with a total 28 community leaders and professionals, and in-depth interviews with 20 women casino workers (aged 31-66 yrs), this study attempted to connect "the patterns of (individual) lives and the course of world history." Findings from the narratives are discussed according to the topics: becoming a maid, work conditions, health and mental health issues, and strategies for survival. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved)