ABSTRACT
The shared technique, object of technique, risks of mistakes at work, clients, and social conditions of colleagues in an occupation generated cultural responses beyond shared identity and definitions of dirty work. Two aspects of occupational culture that shape and reflect the social drama of work are “code” and “policy.” Code refers to all the formal and informal regulations and expectations that an occupation develops for its members, from expectations about solidarity in demands for remuneration, to induction rituals for apprentices, to norms about keeping secret aspects of technique. Code grows within the larger cultural milieu but may run counter to norms for laymen. Policy is the public face of the occupation: its demands for privileges or particular perceptions by laymen.
