Negotiating Violence and Gender: Security and the Night Time Economy in the UK

Abstract

This chapter examines how gender intersects with the working practices and occupational culture of door security staff, often referred to as door supervisors or ‘bouncers’, and who represent an arm of Britain’s bourgeoning private security industry. Whilst recognising that night-time security work can often be mundane and non-eventful (Monaghan, 2002b) the main body of this chapter deals with the management of violence and aggression by female bouncers. Within the context of Britain’s commercially driven, alcohol fuelled night-time economies we focus on what we term ‘violence work’ (Hobbs, O’Brien & Westmarland, 2007) by exploring how female bouncers are controlling and preventing aggression and physical violent episodes involving male and female customers within licensed venues.