Employee-Guest Interaction

The next major theme found in the data observed is the portrayal of happy workers serving happy guests. This pertains to the idea of racial representation because among all images collected, 33 workers were depicted and 25 of them had darker skin or were black, which is equal to approximately 76% of that specific population. In total, just under 34% of the images analyzed showed workers and guests interacting with one another in a shared environment and almost all expressed happiness through facial expressions with a select few that had more ambiguous facial expressions of emotion. One example is an image of a white couple on private beach, under their own umbrella who are being served cocktails by a black worker who is wearing formal attire. In this image, the white couple that is relaxing in their bathing suits and laid out on the beach are pleased to have the worker serve them without leaving their private luxury.

Credit: Couple served cocktails on the beach by Sandals. CC-BY.

This image was found on a website for a resort in Jamaica, while a similar image was found on a website for a resort in the Dominican Republic. This one shows another white couple lounging in their own private cabana area directly next to a pool. They are both smiling as a black worker is handing them a couple of champagne filled glasses. In this image however, the worker’s face cannot be seen has he is facing away from the camera as he hands the champagne to the woman. The exclusion of the worker’s face fosters an idea that it does not matter what the working man in this image feels and his job is to serve the white guests.

Credit: Couple served drinks poolside by Royalton Resorts. CC-BY.

The reproduction of this kind of image across sites, and countries, creates a sense of a power dynamic in these sub societal roles that are played out in this kind of service industry with a focus on the race of each participant within it. Another image that creates a similar thought is one from the Bahamas which shows two white women talking and being served food from a black chef. In this scenario, the women seem to be looking at each other and ignoring the chef as she smiles at the two while serving their food.

Credit: Couple of women being served food by Warwick Hotels. CC-BY

Overall, most of the depictions of workers as black or having darker skin, and the situation of employee-to-guest interaction consisting of one third of the data collected, create a theme of black subservience to what is seen to be predominantly white guests who are comfortable with the luxuries that the workers provide them.