The Construction Worker Stereotype

One of the longest running stereotypes in the United States is that of the obnoxious construction worker. Some of the common stereotypes that fall under this umbrella are that they are rude, lazy, uneducated, intent on showing their bum-cracks or other parts of their body, and they harass pretty women as they pass by on their way to work. One reason they are profile this way is because the 

appearance created by their working environment. 

The picture below captures an image that many people are used to seeing everyday. These men are wearing dirty, worn-out clothing; their skin has been darkened by the sun, and their facial hair is untidy. It gives the viewer an image of poverty and servitude.

In addition, these workers are resting and eating lunch on a beam or wall of some sort. An image like this tells the viewer that they are on a tight and dictated schedule without any permission to leave the construction site. Such restrictions add to the appearances mentioned above. 

It does not help when the media decides to play off of the stereotype for the purpose of entertaining. This clip below is from the movie the Notebook, where a mother brings her daughter to the lumberyard. The mother admires one of the lumberjacks from a distance, because they were once young lovers. Although she loves the man, she chooses not to be with him for fear that he could not provide a stable life conducive to raise a family. He had no future and nod desire to be anything special.

In another example, Snickers ran a construction worker ad with the catchphrase “You’re not you when you’re hungry.” The workers are seen calling out to women as they walk by, complementing them on their appearance and protesting gender bias and objectification. This mocks the construction worker. Because they are hungry, they are complimenting, and saying things that are out of their ordinary. 

With so much negative attention, it makes it hard for these professionals to escape this single-story. Many people don’t think twice about how mathematically smart these individuals are. They are given designs and layouts and must use a variety of different tools to make precise measurements and make accurate installations. Their work keeps us safe, comfortable and keeps our community beautiful. We never hear stories about their late nights and early mornings, all the work they do while we are all sound asleep.

I wonder how their story would be different if the public remembered the service they rendered on 9/11 and allowed this to make up their second-story. Images of them pulling mangled bodies out of debris or walking back into the chaotic dust cloud towards the Trade Centers would have changed the stereotype. Suddenly, courage, love and patriotism would be added to their profile and it would cause us to reconsider our perceptions. 

Unfortunately, society has given the construction worker a one-sided story. They are slaves to the site. Their work is tiresome and requires strength so naturally, men make up the construction force. Their work is naturally dirty and always in the sun. It gives these men a rough and hard appearance. It is a vicious cycle, but can be broken as we develop our story.