Scars, scripts and service: rituals of belonging
Tayler M. S. Colton, Shane Lobsinger, Daniel W. CoxPurpose
Belonging is a fundamental psychological need. The symbolic practices that shape belonging in hospitality work remain underexplored. The objective of this review is to examine how hospitality workers describe the ritualized practices that facilitate their sense of occupational belonging.
Design/methodology/approach
This synthesis included peer-reviewed qualitative studies published in English that focused on occupational belonging, socialization, or ritual practices among hospitality workers. A comprehensive search of relevant databases was conducted between October 2024 and January 2025. Data were extracted and synthesized using a meta-aggregative approach to develop categories based on similarity of meaning, which were then aggregated into synthesized findings using the Joanna Briggs Institute SUMARI (Munn et al., 2019).
Findings
Seven studies met inclusion criteria for the review; 61 findings were extracted, critically appraised and aggregated into 12 categories, which were then synthesized into four overarching findings. The synthesized findings identified belonging in hospitality as a conditional and socially mediated process, constructed through occupational transformation, performances of dominance and subversion, collective functioning and the attainment of recognition and symbolic capital.
Practical implications
This synthesis offers hospitality-specific recommendations for practice and future research, including promoting value-aligned collective rituals and adopting proactive leadership strategies that enable more flexible conceptualizations of occupational identity, thereby fostering well-being and connection among workers.
Originality/value
This study presents the first qualitative evidence synthesis on the ritualized practices that shape hospitality workers’ sense of occupational belonging. Importantly, it highlights the inherent ambivalence of these rituals within hospitality subcultures in high-demand service environments.