Description
Book SynopsisIn US urban fire departments, women and coloured men have struggled to gain acceptance. In this account, Chetkovich follows the Oakland Fire Department through their training and probation, examining how race and gender affect their attitude, performance and relationships with others.
Trade ReviewThe observations and stories revealed in this book are seldom heard by the chief administrator in an organization until it is too late. Ms. Chetkovich's book is an inside observation of the work group culture of the urban fire service that can assist the fire professional in focusing in on specific issues of diversity. Real Heat should be required reading for all new recruits and every fire officer involved in training, evaluating, or supervising entry-level and probationary firefighters. -- Manuel Navarro * Fire Chief, Colorado Springs, Colorado *
Brilliant and deeply honest. A head-on look at race, gender, and work practices that reveal the depth of resistance confronting women of all colors who work in ultra-male environments. The text has the painful but compelling ring of truth; it is an elegant and powerful use of ethnography in the service of social policy research. -- Carol Stack * author of Call to Home and All Our Kin, professor of women's studies, University of California, Berk *
Table of ContentsA Personal Preface about Fire
Ch. 1. After the Door Is Open: Finding One's Place in the Community of Firefighters
Ch. 2. Work, Culture, and Identity in the Urban Fire Service
Ch. 3. Newcomers at Entry: Reflecting Back, Looking Forward
Ch. 4. Initiation: Swimming in the Shark's Tank
Ch. 5. Proving Grounds
Ch. 6. Learning in Relationship
Ch. 7. Becoming an Insider
Ch. 8. Gender and Race in the Urban Fire Service: Policy Implications
Ch. 9. Questions of Identity, Community, and Social Justice
