"You Kind of Have to Act Like a Robot": Latina College Students, Emotional Labor, and the Demands of Service Work
Abstract
In this thesis project, my aim was to discern whether a discernible pattern exists in the way Latina college students at UTEP navigate the challenges of work, education, and family responsibilities. Given the evolving nature of the contemporary economy, the selling of emotions in the workplace has become increasingly prevalent. Latinas, often overrepresented in low-wage occupations, find themselves tasked with balancing work demands alongside familial responsibilities and academic pursuits. Existing research has predominantly leaned on Arlie Russell Hochschild’s theory of emotional labor, notably showcased in her study on flight attendants, to illustrate the gendered nature of this phenomenon. This qualitative study utilized in-depth interviews to delve into this underexplored issue within the Latino community. The findings revealed that Latinas employ distinct strategies in managing their work demands, engaging not only in gendered but also racialized emotional labor in the workplace, all while juggling academic and family obligations.
Subject Area
Sociology|Behavioral psychology|Educational sociology
Recommended Citation
Holguin, Julia, ""You Kind of Have to Act Like a Robot": Latina College Students, Emotional Labor, and the Demands of Service Work" (2023). ETD Collection for University of Texas, El Paso. AAI30819648.
https://scholarworks.utep.edu/dissertations/AAI30819648