Oriental dance and dirty work: Individual coping strategies of oriental dancers from Casablanca and London

Abstract

Throughout the 21st century, Middle Eastern-originating oriental dance has gained popularity in the West, often referred to as 'belly dancing'. Initially associated with working-class cabarets, it was deemed vulgar by Western society, contributing to negative perceptions of Middle Eastern culture. This study examines the potential link between oriental dance and 'dirty work', a concept defined by Hughes (1951) as degrading labour. This qualitative cross national comparative research provides a critical realist examination of the work experiences of 30 belly dancers interviewed from London and Casablanca, aiming to understand why belly dancing is often stigmatised and labelled 'dirty work'. Bourdieu's symbolic violence and habitus concepts elucidate the nature of stigma, revealing societal norms threatened by the dancers' norm-challenging status. Disparities between dancers in London and Casablanca highlight the influence of the social and cultural context on their experiences. Indeed, stigma can arise from the religious and cultural norms of a group, often intertwined, leading to confusion and negative work experience for dirty workers. This study also demonstrate that professions are more likely to be stigmatised if they are associated with precarious, less-educated social classes. Since this research explores a marginalised community, shedding light on their coping strategies, it appeared that the more oriental dancers adopt strategies to combat stigma, the more likely they are to raise suspicions. Conversely, dirty workers may employ stigma against their stigmatisers because living in fear and anonymity perpetuates the stigma associated with their professions. Moreover, conducting this study during a global pandemic (COVID-19) revealed that times of uncertainty and precariousness strengthen group bonds among dirty workers while highlighting the instability of entertainment professions like oriental dance However, this study also underscores the limitations of all defence strategies adopted, as stigma and emotional struggles persist for dirty workers. The ultimate theoretical contribution of this study demonstrates that within the realm of dirty work, Western women enjoy more freedom and support than their Eastern counterparts, both in the private and professional spheres.