An Affective Lens on Social Activists' Emotional Labor in Interactions with Allies

• In Event: 30260 - Joint Roundtables: Section on Social Psychology and Section on Sociology of Emotions
  In Refereed Roundtable (90 minute): Table 1: Emotion Work

Abstract

Most research on the emotional aspects of social activism has focused on the emotions involved in the recruitment to, motivation for, and sustainability of social movements. Less is known about the emotional labor of activists who are direct beneficiaries of the movement interacting with allies. Allies are insiders who share the movement’s goals and actively work to achieve them, yet they are also members of dominant society who benefit from the very structures that the movement attempts to change. Our study explores the emotional implications of these complexities by adopting an affect lens on emotional labor. In an interview study of 41 trans social activists, we found that activists engage in three kinds of emotional labor practices. First are emotional labor practices aimed at creating a positive emotional experience for allies and minimizing their discomfort. The second set of emotional labor practices are aimed at challenging power relations, resisting the existing social order, and creating change through interactions with allies. The third set of practices entail dramatic emotional outbursts that can threaten or sever relationships with allies. We call these moments “activist snap,” following Ahmed’s concept of “feminist snap.” Our research shows that unlike emotional labor performed by paid employees in service organizations, emotional labor in social movement activism can be a form of resistance, not only compliance, to feeling rules. Thus, emotional labor can serve as both accommodation and resistance to power structures, revealing the complex ways activists navigate ally relationships.

Authors

• Ruth Blatt, Bar Ilan University

• Gilly Hartal, McGill University

• Orna Sasson-Levy, Bar Ilan University