C. Backhouse & L. Cohn.   Sexual Harassment on the Job: How to Avoid the Working Woman's Nightmare.   Prentice-Hall, Inc. NJ, 1981

"Case 2: The Waitress" is a short interview with a woman by the name of Ms. Adams who is a young waitress, telling her story of sexual harassment in the workplace.   Though a brief recount of her experiences, this interview delves into the hardships she and her coworkers continuously face, regarding management, costumers and their male-counterpart chefs.   The interview is placed within the larger context of a case study, and provides a short analysis of Ms. Adams' case, illustrating that these experiences are common and both physically and psychologically damaging to women.   The tone of the analysis calls for collective action against these practices, and those who read this case are able to sympathize with Ms. Adams and recognize that among low- paying jobs like waitressing, sexual harassment is too common.   The reader then, is able to learn from Ms. Adams' experiences and either share it with others or apply it to their own lives.   It would be beneficial to young and college-aged women to read this article as it is very likely they too will share similar experiences.   - B.H.   

Profoundly influenced by feminism, law, and worker's rights, Constance Backhouse's excerpt Case 2:   The Waitress from the book Sexual Harassment on the Job:   How to Avoid the Working Woman's Nightmare highlights a waitress's battle with sexual harassment on the job.   The article is a series of interview questions that ask the waitress, Roselle Adams, to reveal her experiences working in various locations and the sexual harassment that ensued.   As a feminist and literary scholar, Backhouse's purpose for writing the text is to provide examples of women's struggles in the workplace, specifically exploring the detrimental effects of sexual harassment.   Backhouse's feminist viewpoint and extensive knowledge of worker's legal rights influenced the development of the thesis for the text, that waitresses are a particularly vulnerable occupational group and no matter where one waitresses, sexual harassment frequently occurs by customers, coworkers, and bosses, which ultimately strips the female workers of their safety and dignity.   Backhouse's excerpt presents a primary document and personal observations to support the thesis of the text.   She asks Roselle questions to display the sexual abuse that occurs in low-ended jobs.   As this text shows, in certain cases, like Roselle's, the sexual abuse can intensify to the point of attempted rape and there's usually very little, legally, that the woman can do about it.   Backhouse's excerpt is very educational and significantly impacts its readers due to the personal examples that are included.   - B.D.

            This article provided a case example of a woman who, as a waitress, was both physically and psychologically harassed in different establishments.   This case of Ms. Adams demonstrates that sexual harassment exists in many different areas of women's work, regardless of the class of the establishment.  
            This article was very powerful in its portrayal of sexual harassment, most notably because of its first person interview.   At one point it becomes unbelievably upsetting to both Ms. Adams and the reader that there is not a single place she can work that she will not experience sexual harassment.   However, it did not provide the reader with any positive suggestions for ways in which to combat sexual harassment.   The only suggestion the article had was that made by Ms. Adams, of the importance of women coming together to fight sexual assault.       
            I would recommend this article to someone interested in a first hand account from a victim of sexual harassment.   However, I would hope that the rest of the book in which this article is contained has more helpful suggestions for ways in which to combat sexual harassment. - A.B.

This piece is an interview with a woman who worked as a waitress for various restaurants but faced sexual harassment at each one. The author argues that regardless of the type of establishment a waitress works at, whether it be a diner or a ritzy restaurant, she must face sexual harassment by customers, co-workers, and superiors. Because of the low wages, tips are necessary to survive and waitresses must put up with sexual harassment in order to maintain tips and a steady income. The interviewee's many stories help support this as well as the final argument that waitresses need to collectivize in order to resist sexual harassment. This article is an excellent look at one woman's personal experiences and could be used as anecdotal evidence for a larger discussion on sexual harassment. - C.D.

This article exposes the extreme marginalization of women working as waitresses in low to moderate income jobs. Through interview, the author reveals the horrid conditions under which many women are forced to work, the rampant sexual behavior widespread in all sorts of working environments, and the cyclical nature that provokes many women to become trapped in their occupations--specifically waitressing.   The article reveals the imbalance of relationships between waitresses and their employers, the forceful situations that many of these women watiressing are put into, and the assumption by customers that most of them behave like prostitutes. Regardless of their place of employment, whether it is a fancy upscale restaurant, or a neighborhood diner, the levels of sexual harassment are unvaried. Backhouse interviews a middle aged woman who has worked as a waitress her entire life. The interviewee, Ms. Adams, illustrates the cyclical pattern that many women cannot escape, trapped in their occupation as a means of survival. From one waitressing job to another, Ms. Adams is informed by her co-workers, older women, that "cat calls" "hoots" "quick grabs" and "suggestive gestures" are never-ending. Age seems to be no marker for most male customers, the harassment of all types is unrelenting. Subjected to sexual harassment both physically and verbally, Ms. Adams like many other women feel that despite the horrid abuse they face--other options of employment are strictly limited. Most waitresses are forced into their line of work because of little to no higher education, circumstantial family situations, and the need to support other family members. Backhouse proves that in the case of Ms. Adams there exists no major exception--since most women today are still forced to work low-income jobs where marginalization occurs daily, the plight of these women subject to both physical and psychological abuse perpetuates extreme cases of sexual harassment for not just waitresses but women everywhere. - B.M.

Though brief, the interview with Ms. Adams is an intelligent, semi-poetic reflection of what it feels like to be sexually harassed.    Ms. Adams shares her stories of being groped, heckled, and propositioned.   A code of silence permeates her anecdotes - tales of waitresses accepting sexual harassment out of need.  
Living on tips, Ms. Adams explains, waitresses need the cooperation of the kitchen staff and bartenders who are mostly male.   It is in the context of dependency that abuse occurs and silence follows.   Ms. Adams' stories show that waitresses must not object to sexual harassment if they wish to keep a job and most do for they are usually poor and uneducated with few choices.   Ms. Adams talks about the problems of class, single motherhood, and marginalization with poignancy that comes from experience.   Her comments serve to illustrate the author's argument that waitresses are a particularly vulnerable group whose experiences often "...border on rape..." ().    In a larger context, her stories muddle the knowledge vs. experience conflict and help keep a victim-centered perspective in the sexual harassment discussion.   - C.P.

As women, many of us will experience some form of sexual harassment on the job.   This article, an interview with a woman working as a waitress, explains some of the harassment that she has dealt with on the job, not only from her bosses and coworkers, but from the customers as well.  
            In a sense, the interviewee explains, being a waitress is a lot like being a prostitute--one has to sell herself for money.   As a waitress, one does not have to physically sell her body, but in order to make a living off of tips, one has to flirt and smile as customers sometimes make passes and lewd comments.   Some restaurant patrons get a power trip when having someone, especially a female, serve them.   They think that the while the waitress is already at their beck and call it is perfectly fine to make sexual overtures and advance.   There is really nothing she can do about it though--if she talks back, she loses her tips and her livelihood.   This same double-edged sword is present in relations between her and her coworkers.   She must deal with their harassment with a smile, because if she upsets them she risks sabotage of her food and drinks.
            The article presents an interesting look at waitressing and the sexual harassment that comes along with it.   While harassment of women certainly happens in every kind of workplace, they way in which the women deal with it here is completely different.   It is almost accepted as part of the job.   This article can certainly offer insight to those who are researching workplace sexual harassment, women in the workforce, low-wage workers, and sex work. -M.J.

            This excerpt is an interview with a woman who has consistently worked in low-paying waitress positions and has dealt with both physical and psychological harassment of a sexual nature. This article shows that workplace harassment is heavily gendered and very much a debilitating factor in women's working - and personal - lives. The case proposes that putting a stop to workplace harassment and discrimination depends on the collective - on women working together and standing behind one another. Harassment is not only a feminist battle, but a battle for all people, regardless of gender. This article could be recommended for any woman in a waitressing position or all people who are at risk of or suffer workplace harassment. -C.S.

This article references how female waitresses rely on sexual harassment as their means of making ends meat.   The author of the article uses Mrs. Adams's personal testimony as a means of showing her readers the severity of sexual assault for women working in restaurants, as well as how sexual harassment occurs in numerous ways.   Waitresses, regardless of if they work in a diner or a five-star restaurant, are susceptible to being sexually harassed and exploited by male patrons, co-workers, and managers.   Mrs. Adams is interviewed on her experiences as a waitress in various establishments.   As she went from one job to another, she continued to be harassed.   In some instances she was touched by male patrons, whereas other times she was nearly raped.   Mrs. Adams describes how she was forced to do her best to remain on good terms with her male co-workers; fearing that they would keep her gratuity money.   - A.H.