Element contents
Emotional Labor
The Origin, Development, and Future of a Key Concept
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 22 June 2026
Summary
In post-industrial economies, service-based jobs now outnumber manufacturing jobs. Analyzing these changes critically, Arlie Hochschild developed the term 'emotional labor' to refer to the new forms of labor expected in the service sector. She saw the emotional constraints that commercial interests place on workers as part of capitalism's increasing encroachment on our bodies, minds, and hearts. Since her original research, there has been an explosion of interest in studying emotional labor in all manner of jobs and social roles. Empirical studies have explored the connections between emotional labor and job outcomes, as well as the relationship to social class, gender, and race. The term has struck a nerve not only with work scholars, but the public more broadly. This Element traces the term's origin, scholarly development, popular uses, and future possibilities.
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- Online ISBN: 9781009616256Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication: 23 July 2026
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