Stretching the Double Hermeneutic

A Critical Examination of Lay Meanings of 'Emotional Labour

Bibliographic Data

ID2392298
AuthorsHana Stulikova (Independent Researcher, UK), Matt Dawson (0000-0002-6493-6209, University of Glasgow, corresponding author)
Year2023
Volume28
Issue4
Pages1130-1148
Publication date2023-12-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueSociological Research Online (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1360-7804 • E-ISSN: 1360-7804
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/13607804221138578
OpenAlexW4311448168
LanguageEN
Citations received6
References cited40

This article explores how the concept of emotional labour has moved from sociological into lay discourse as a case study of the double hermeneutic and concept creep, demonstrating the effect sociological concepts can have on lay actors' understanding of their everyday lives. From an analysis of 41 news and magazine articles about emotional labour, we identify the various meanings the term carries as well as the ideologies and logics that underpin them. The concept has become a tool used to frame discussions around gender inequalities in unpaid work, including housework, emotion work, and providing support. However, the Marxist underpinnings of the original concept have been subverted within a lay discourse that is largely reflective of a liberal feminist and neoliberal ethos

Aesthetics · Discourse analysis · Emotional labor · Epistemology · Ethos · Ideology · Linguistics · Marxist philosophy · Politics · Sociology · Emotional Labor in Professions · Employment and Welfare Studies · Gender Studies · Labor Movements and Unions · Law · Psychology · Social Psychology

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Open DOIOpen Access