Emotional Labor and Gender Norms: Understanding the Experiences of Women in Care Professions
Keywords:
Emotional labor, gender norms, care professions, women, qualitative research, emotional exhaustion, professional identityAbstract
Objective: This study aimed to explore how women in care professions in Germany experience and interpret emotional labor within the context of gendered workplace expectations.
Methods and Materials: This qualitative research employed an exploratory design using semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 30 women working in various care professions, including nursing, social work, early childhood education, and eldercare. Participants were recruited through purposive sampling, ensuring diversity in age, professional role, and years of experience. Data collection continued until theoretical saturation was reached. All interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using thematic analysis, following Braun and Clarke’s six-phase approach. NVivo software was utilized to code and organize the data systematically, enhancing the rigor and transparency of the analysis.
Findings: Three overarching themes emerged from the data: navigating emotional expectations, gendered dimensions of care work, and consequences of emotional labor. Participants described internalized professional norms requiring emotional control, often in conflict with their authentic feelings. They highlighted how emotional labor is disproportionately expected of women, reinforced by cultural narratives of feminine caregiving. Many reported experiencing emotional exhaustion, role spillover into personal life, and diminished motivation to remain in their professions. At the same time, some participants demonstrated acts of resistance by setting boundaries and reframing emotional labor as skilled and valuable work. The findings revealed a clear disconnect between the institutional expectations placed on care workers and the emotional toll of their labor, underscoring the need for systemic recognition and reform.
Conclusion: Emotional labor in care professions is deeply gendered, institutionally underrecognized, and psychologically demanding.
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