| dc.description.abstract | Violence has always been an intrinsic part of the night life environment. Through a combination of intoxication, exuberance and masculinity in overdrive, the hordes of people visiting night life districts always give rise to unruly behavior, physical confrontations and injury. To maage this violence, a network of public and private partners works to keep the peace. The bouncers, or doormen, make up a part of this network. In spite of this, however, the commonly shared stereotype is that the stern and intimidating bouncers are just as often a cause of aggression and violence, instead of the people who are there to stop it. In that regard, based on statistics linking the bouncers to violent incidents, much research has been done into the possible effects of regulation and other means to ensure the apparent causal effects diminish. However, less attention has been paid to the bouncers themselves. Through an interdisciplinary approach, this thesis explores the professional reality of the bouncers in Dutch night life districts. The objective of this thesis is to provide a basis for understanding the role of bouncers within the context of collaborative night life security and illustrate the various factors that influence their professional behavior. First, an analysis of the actors, environment and societal and legal notions that shape the collaborative security environment, provides the basis for understanding the bouncers professional reality. Secondly, through concepts of trust, cohesion and leadership, it becomes apparent how these notions, mainly the legal limitations and the inherent power difference between the bouncers and the police, influence the bouncers professional relationships and collective work outcomes. Finally, through the lens of performance and concepts as dominance, discrimination and violence, it is illustrated how bouncers define and negotiate their role of gatekeeper within the night life environment. These three ways of analysis serve as a complementary approach, through which it becomes apparent how on the ground practice is influenced by underlying societal concepts and vice versa. | |
