Understanding the Hidden Emotional Labour of Migrant Women Doing Domestic Cleaning Work in England
Year: 2022
Type: article
Abstract: This essay explores the emotional labour of women migrants working as domestic cleaners in a small city in England. Drawing on qualitative data gathered through in-depth semi-structured interviews, the essay foregrounds the narratives of a group whose perspectives have not been widely captured. In order to provide a good service, cleaners in the sample modified and mobilised their emotions, conveying friendliness and expressing empathy when faced with clients’ vulnerabilities. Framing domestic cleaning as relational, ‘intimate labour’ allows a better understanding of the role of migrant women in providing practical and emotional care. The analysis contributes to studies of migrant emotionality by situating cleaners’ emotional labour in the context of their transnational lives.
Source: Emotions History Culture Society
Author: Nicola J. C. Chanamuto
Institution: University of Lincoln
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W4311622212