Consciousness of time and time for the development of consciousness: health awareness among women flight attendants

Abstract The occupational health beliefs and experiences of flight attendants in five United States airlines were analysed in a three-year interview and field study. The development of career longevity in the flight attendant occupation, once seen as short-term 'women's work', has given rise to increasing occupational health problems. The health concerns of flight attendants have correspondingly heightened their consciousness of collective occupational interests as self-care practices alone have proved insufficient to combat environmental health hazards. The case of flight attendants illustrates the problems workers face in legitimising health concerns in a female-identified occupation, yet suggests the changes in consciousness that occur when women no longer view their work as temporary but as a long-term career.