Week 6: More Thoughts on Emotional Labor

This week I didn’t really collect new interviews. I went back to what people said before and tried to think more about why they act like that. Last week I said workers usually stay silent, but now I feel like it’s not just a habit, it’s more about the situation they are in.

A lot of workers actually know it’s unfair sometimes, but they still don’t say anything. It’s not because they don’t care, it’s more like they don’t think speaking up will help. One worker told me if you argue, it just makes things worse, and the supervisor might remember you later. This “being remembered” thing is kind of interesting, because it’s not a direct punishment, but it still affects how people behave.

So I feel like emotional labor here is not really about “acting nice,” but more about holding things in. It’s kind of like a way to protect yourself. After a while, people just get used to it and stop reacting. This made me think that emotional labor is not only personal, but also shaped by the workplace. Even if no one says it directly, there are still rules that everyone understands.