By a long shot: Power, devaluation and discrimination in a toxic cultural workforce

Abstract

Drawing on data collected for a comprehensive workforce survey of the audio-visual camera profession in Australia ( n = 582), this article investigates discrimination and devaluation in screen industry workplaces. Employing a mixed method approach, we analyse the intersection of gender, sexuality and ethnicity to show that group differences play an important role in understanding workplace cultures defined by power imbalances. To address the problem of these toxic workplaces, we propose the importance of attending to job precarity and suggest the need for policymakers, guilds and trade unions to work collaboratively to set and enforce standards of workplace equality and respect. JEL Classification: Z13