Open AccessMandatory Identification Bar Checks: How Bouncers Are Doing Their Job
Author(s) -
Elizabeth Monk–Turner,
John Gary Allen,
John A. Casten,
Catherine Cowling,
Charles C. Gray,
David A. Guhr,
Kara Hoofnagle,
Jessica Huffman,
Moises Mina,
Brian Moore
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
the qualitative report
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.335
H-Index - 35
ISSN - 2160-3715
DOI - 10.46743/2160-3715/2011.1045
Subject(s) - identification (biology) , sociology , law , computer science , political science , biology , botany
The behavior of bouncers at on site establishments that served alcohol was observed. Our aim was to better understand how bouncers went about their job when the bar had a mandatory policy to check identification of all customers. Utilizing an ethnographic decision model, we found that bouncers were significantly more likely to card customers that were more casually dressed than others, those who were in their 30s, and those in mixed racial groups. We posit that bouncers who failed to ask for identification did so because they appeared to know customers, they appeared to be of age, or they took a break and no one was checking for identification at the door. We found that bouncers presented a commanding presence by their dress and demeanor. Bouncers, we posit, function in three primary roles: customer relations, state law management, and establishment rule enforcer.