Emotional labour

Emotions are regarded as informed by social norms, rather than existing objectively as part of an individual's makeup. While emotions are comprised of feelings, this entry assesses the performativity of emotions as public expressions that organisations may attempt to manage. Such emotion management does not commence upon employment but is enculturated from an early age as we are conditioned to ‘put a brave face on it’ and ‘grin and bear it’. We are all socialised into displaying and in some cases, feeling certain emotions which continue into work. Emotions may be prescribed subtly or in a direct, prescriptive manner, as this entry's discussion of major contributions to the broad research are of emotional labour will show.