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emotional labourthe face-to-face interaction and the sustained display of particular ‘emotions’ required by workers in particular occupations, such as air stewardesses or bar and casino staff. The term was introduced by A. Hochschild (The Managed Heart: Commercialization of Human Feeling, 1983). According to Hochschild, such work is guided by ‘feeling rules ’ (governing the appropriateness of particular emotions to particular social situations) and effectively means the COMMODIFICATION of emotions. As the service sector of most advanced economies expands (especially personal services) the number of people (often women) involved in emotional labour processes continues to rise.
Collins Dictionary of Sociology, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2000