Bubbles of Belonging at Work: Redrawing Boundaries of Inclusion and Exclusion in UK Restaurants during Brexit
基于英国餐厅行业数据，研究英国脱欧如何影响欧盟移民工人的工作归属感，发现基于国籍和身份的新社区（气泡）既提供归属感，也因冲突和顾客互动而破裂，警示职场社区建设在政治动荡中的局限性。
This article examines how Brexit affected EU migrants’ sense of belonging at work by drawing on empirical data from a study of workers in the UK restaurant sector. Brexit was a political project of belonging that led to the formation of new communities at work based on citizenship and national identity. These ‘bubbles’ provided a sense of belonging for EU migrant workers during a period of heightened socio-political tension about migration. However, these bubbles were ruptured by conflict between EU migrants and other workers and managers, and by interactions with customers who become a conduit for socio-political issues to enter the workplace. The article highlights the problems with workplace community building as a strategy of solidarity in political contexts where societal belonging is disrupted. While bubbles of belonging create temporary safe spaces at work, by raising awareness of difference between groups they become a divisive approach to managing employee relations.