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Invisible Skills, Unequal Burdens: A Sociological Agenda for Recognising Emotional Labour in Participatory Research

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Co-production and participatory research now occupy a prominent place within sociology and across neighbouring disciplines, framed as more inclusive and democratic forms of knowledge-making. Yet the emotional labour that sustains these collaborations often goes unrecognised. This article examines both the nature of that invisible labour and its unequal distribution, falling disproportionately on early-career and precariously employed researchers. Drawing on Hochschild’s sociology of emotional labour, Ahmed’s account of affective economies, and Fraser’s framework of recognition and redistribution, we argue that emotional labour is not peripheral to collaboration but one of its central sustaining mechanisms. As an ethical and epistemic practice embedded in the political economy of academic production, it requires institutional recognition and structural support. Using a composite vignette and researcher well-being resources, we propose four principles for emotionally sustainable research cultures. We argue that sociological analysis can make visible the inequalities, expectations, and affective dynamics shaping these collaborations and, in doing so, point towards more equitable and sustainable participatory research practice.

Source: Sociological Research Online

DOI: 10.1177/13607804261457148

Authors: Kathryn McEwan, Petra Mäkelä, Mandy Cheetham

Institution: Northumbria University

Language: English

Topic: Qualitative Research Methods and Ethics

Subfield: Sociology and Political Science

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Reduced inequalities, Gender equality, Decent work and economic growth

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,650