Emotional Labour in the Context of EU-Internal Immigration
A Qualitative Study on Immigrants’ Emotional Adaptation at Work
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.57947/qrp.v64i3.222Keywords:
Emotional Labour, EU-Internal Immigration, Southern EU, Sweden, QUalitative Content AnalysisAbstract
In 1983, Arlie Hochschild introduced the theory of emotional labour, framing the management and regulation of emotion in professional settings as an additional form of labour. While her theory has been widely adopted within sociology, its application to immigrant experiences remains limited. This article – based on the master thesis ‘Emotional Labour Across Borders’ written within the program ‘International Migration and Ethnic Relations’ at Malmö University, Sweden – explores how immigration shapes workers’ perceptions and performances of emotional labour by focusing on the workplace experiences of immigrants from Southern EU countries (Portugal, Spain, Italy, and Greece) living in Sweden. Drawing on seven semi-structured interviews, which were analysed through Qualitative Content Analysis (QCA), the study examines how emotional labour is affected by cross-cultural transitions, workplace diversity, and structural inequalities related to gender and race. The findings suggest that while emotional labour remains a consistent part of service work, its perception and intensity are influenced by economic contrasts between home and host countries, the nature of collegial and managerial support, and intersecting experiences of marginalization. This research not only contributes to emotional labour theory by incorporating EU-internal immigrant perspectives but also opens avenues for further studies on integration and the emotional dynamics of migration more broadly.
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