The Managed Heart audiobook cover - Commercialization of Human Feeling

The Managed Heart

Commercialization of Human Feeling

Arlie Russell Hochschild

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Categories:
EconomicsPsychology

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Key Takeaways from The Managed Heart

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The Managed Heart
Concept of Emotional Labor+
Emotions and Social Rules+
Emotions as Currency+
Gender Inequality+
Consequences for Women+
Actionable Advice+

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Question 1 of 7
According to sociologists, what is the defining characteristic of 'emotional labor' in a professional setting?
  • A. It is the process of expressing one's true, unfiltered emotions to customers to build authentic relationships.
  • B. It is the conscious management of feelings to ensure they are appropriate for a specific commercial or social environment.
  • C. It is the psychological strain caused by working long hours in physically demanding jobs.
  • D. It refers exclusively to the artistic pursuit of creating illusions of emotions, such as in theater.
Question 2 of 7
What is the crucial difference between the emotional labor performed by a stage actor and that of a flight attendant?
  • A. Actors perform emotional labor for artistic purposes, whereas flight attendants do so to fulfill corporate profit motives.
  • B. Actors only display negative emotions, while flight attendants must display positive ones.
  • C. Actors rely on their actual personal feelings, whereas flight attendants create illusions of feelings they have never experienced.
  • D. Actors are not consciously aware of their emotional management, whereas flight attendants undergo strict psychological training.
Question 3 of 7
Why might a person feel guilty about experiencing relief after canceling a party they had planned with an old friend?
  • A. Because canceling a social event always causes direct financial harm to the other party.
  • B. Because relief is an inherently negative emotion that damages interpersonal relationships.
  • C. Because their feelings contradict the societal rules dictating how they are expected to feel in that situation.
  • D. Because they realize they are missing out on an opportunity to increase their social status.
Question 4 of 7
How does a person's position in a hierarchy affect their experience with emotional labor?
  • A. Those with more power are required to perform the most emotional labor to maintain their leadership status.
  • B. Those with less power must use emotional labor as a form of 'currency' to compensate for their lower status.
  • C. Those with less power are exempt from emotional labor because they are not expected to manage others' feelings.
  • D. Power dynamics have little to no effect on emotional labor, as it is determined solely by personality type.
Question 5 of 7
According to the text, what is the primary reason women perform more emotional labor than men?
  • A. Women historically have had less independent access to money, status, and power, making emotional management a necessary financial asset.
  • B. Women are genetically predisposed to be more empathetic and nurturing than men.
  • C. Women generally prefer working in customer service roles over corporate leadership positions.
  • D. Men are actively discouraged from entering professions that require interpersonal communication and teamwork.
Question 6 of 7
How is a loss of temper typically perceived differently between men and women, according to the provided text?
  • A. A woman's anger is seen as a sign of leadership, while a man's anger is viewed as a lack of discipline.
  • B. A woman's anger is viewed as an expression of a rational belief, while a man's anger is ignored.
  • C. Both men and women are equally penalized in the workplace for failing to manage their emotions.
  • D. A woman's anger is often dismissed as illogical or unreasonable, while a man's anger is seen as an expression of a strong, rational belief.
Question 7 of 7
Why do female flight attendants often have a harder time enforcing airplane rules than their male counterparts?
  • A. They are not provided with the same rulebooks and training as male flight attendants.
  • B. Passengers expect women to be strictly authoritarian, which contradicts the friendly nature of the job.
  • C. The emotional labor they are expected to perform causes passengers to take their authority less seriously.
  • D. They are generally assigned to sections of the plane with more unruly passengers.

The Managed Heart — Full Chapter Overview

The Managed Heart Summary & Overview

The Managed Heart (1983) is the seminal sociological text that introduced the concept of emotional labor. These blinks reveal how we adjust our emotions to our advantage in social and professional contexts, and shed light on the risks and consequences of this form of self-management.

Who Should Listen to The Managed Heart?

  • Readers working customer-facing jobs
  • Students interested in gender issues in the workplace
  • Working mothers frustrated with the expectations they face

About the Author: Arlie Russell Hochschild

Arlie Russell Hochschild is a Professor Emerita of Sociology at the University of California, Berkeley. A renowned author, Hochschild has written three New York Times Book Review Notable Books of the Year: The Second Shift, The Managed Heart, and The Time Bind. Her latest book is Strangers In Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right.

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