The gendered glass of wine: Making sense of Chinese women’s professional identity in wine sector

This study examines how the intersection of gender and non-Western cultural backgrounds shapes professional identity formation among early-to-mid career Chinese women in the wine sector. Drawing on intersectional and ethnomethodological theoretical approaches, we conducted multi-method qualitative study, comprising 21 days of workplace shadowing, 25 non-participant covert observations in wine stores and 12 in-depth interviews, to investigate professional identity formation dynamics. We identify five key themes central to professional identity formation: (1) navigating cultural values, (2) orienting to authority and status, (3) tolerating sexism, (4) managing emotional labour, and (5) doing service work. Chinese women’s professional identities were shaped by three intersecting factors—cultural (Chineseness), industry (wine profession characteristics), and gender (being a woman)—through two intertwining processes: on-the-job socialization with co-workers and customer interaction. Our analysis shows that Chinese women’s professional identities are double-edged, functioning simultaneously as sources of situated advantage and disadvantage in relation to dominant – masculine- norms associated with the wine profession. This study provides context-specific insights into how early-to-mid career Chinese women working in the wine sector construct professional identities within a culturally hybrid professional environment shaped by both Chinese cultural values and a Western-origin profession. This research establishes a foundation for future studies on identity and occupational experiences of wine professionals.