Pathways to a Cleaner['s] Life

In the Compton University (CU) housekeeping break room, a middle-aged African American man sits alone at a table. For many research participants, the pathway to custodial work was uneventful and predictable. They needed a job, possessed the requisite qualifications, did not mind cleaning up after others, and concluded that they could earn a sufficient salary to provide for their families. Circumstances outside of their control resulted in the loss of their jobs. They reluctantly applied to become campus custodians, and universities hired them. Custodians wanted jobs that provided assistance to reduce the costs of health care and provided emotional and institutional support (e.g., time off for medical treatments). These jobs represented downward mobility. Feelings of being left behind and losing ground are common and troubling for custodians. Job security, benefits, and autonomy are primary reasons custodians gave for opting to work at a university rather than in industry.