Dirty Work: Essential Jobs and the Hidden Toll of Inequality in America

Dirty Work: Essential Jobs and the Hidden Toll of Inequality in America exposes the hidden work we benefit from in the United States. This work is termed dirty work, which is “unethical activity that [has been] delegated to certain agents and then conveniently disavowed” (Press, 2021, p. 5). From working as a mental health counselor in prisons to being on the killing floors of industrial slaughterhouses, this work is deemed essential and beneficial to society but detrimental to the physical and mental health of those who are in it. The author, Eyal Press, traveled throughout the country to interview several people who have worked and experienced dirty work. These first-hand narratives and the in-depth analysis provided an overview of inequitable and dangerous work in the United States and an included argument that these workers deserve visibility, respect, and the challenging of norms through a change in culture and policy.