The term emotional labor entered the sociological lexicon through the analytical framework of Arlie Russell Hochschild. Born in 1940 in Boston, she shifted the study of social structures toward the hidden, internal management of feelings. By examining how individuals regulate their private emotions to meet public expectations, she established a critical perspective on modern life, workplace demands, and political identity.
Academic Foundation
Hochschild pursued her undergraduate education at Swarthmore College, completing her studies in 1962. She subsequently transitioned to the University of California, Berkeley, where she earned both her Master’s degree in 1965 and her PhD in 1969. Before returning to Berkeley for a long-standing tenure on the faculty, she taught at the University of California, Santa Cruz between 1969 and 1971. Her professional trajectory reflects a career rooted in the American academic tradition, culminating in her status as a professor emerita.
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In her seminal work, The Managed Heart, Hochschild investigated how service-sector employees, such as flight attendants and bill collectors, perform emotional labor. She argued that these workers are expected to manage their internal states and outward expressions to satisfy organizational goals. This process involves adhering to social feeling rules—standards that dictate how individuals should feel in specific contexts. Her research illustrates that as service-oriented employment increases, so does the requirement for individuals to suppress authentic anxieties or adopt mandated attitudes to appease the public or clients.
Sociological Inquiry into Politics
Her research expanded into the political sphere with works such as Strangers in Their Own Land and Stolen Pride. By conducting extensive ethnographic interviews in struggling American regions, she explored the appeal of right-wing populism. Hochschild introduced the concept of the deep story to explain how residents prioritize emotional narratives over economic data when forming political allegiances. Her focus on how loss, shame, and perceived decline drive social behavior has provided a framework for understanding modern political divides.
Fast facts
- Born: 1940, Boston
- Citizenship: United States
- Notable work: The Managed Heart
- Notable work: The Second Shift
- Award: Helmholtz Medal (2024)
- Award: Jessie Bernard Award (2008)
- Languages: English, Spanish
Questions readers ask
What is emotional labor?
It is the process where individuals manage their emotions to meet social or professional expectations, often suppressing personal feelings to provide a service or maintain order.
Which major awards has she received?
Her recognitions include the Helmholtz Medal in 2024, the Jessie Bernard Award in 2008, and a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1976.
Achievements
- Helmholtz Medal — 2024
- Notable work: The Second Shift
- Notable work: The Managed Heart
- Held posts at University of California, Berkeley
- Fields: sociology, emotional labor and social psychology
