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Emotional Labor

The Invisible Work Shaping Our Lives and How to Claim Our Power

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Emotional Labor

Written by: Rose Hackman
Narrated by: Rose Hackman
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About this listen

This program is read by the author.

For fans of Fair Play by Eve Rodsky and Burnout by Emily Nagoski and Amelia Nagoski comes a scathing, deeply researched foray into the invisible, uncompensated work women perform every day.

We’re tired.

A stranger insists you “smile more,” even as you navigate a high-stress environment or grating commute. A mother is expected to oversee every last detail of domestic life. A nurse works on the front line, worried about her own health, but has to put on a brave face for her patients. A young professional is denied promotion for being deemed abrasive instead of placating her boss. Nearly every day, we find ourselves forced to edit our emotions to accommodate and elevate the emotions of others. Too many of us are asked to perform this exhausting, draining work at no extra cost, especially if we’re women or people of color.

Emotional labor is essential to our society and economy, but it’s so often invisible. In this groundbreaking, journalistic deep dive, Rose Hackman shares the stories of hundreds of women, tracing the history of this kind of work and exposing common manifestations of the phenomenon. But Hackman doesn’t simply diagnose a problem—she empowers us to combat this insidious force and forge pathways for radical evolution, justice, and change.

Drawing on years of research and hundreds of interviews, you’ll learn:

· How emotional labor pervades our workplaces, from the bustling food service industry to the halls of corporate America

· How race, gender, and class unequally shape the load we carry

· Strategies for leveling the imbalances that contaminate our relationships, social circles, and households

· Empowering tools to stop anyone from gaslighting you into thinking the work you are doing is not real work

Emotional labor is real, but it no longer has to be our burden alone. By recognizing its value and insisting on its shared responsibility, we can set ourselves free and forge a path to a world where empathy, love, and caregiving claim their rightful power.

A Macmillan Audio production from Flatiron Books.

©2023 Rose Hackman (P)2023 Macmillan Audio
Gender Studies Sociology Inspiring Emotional Labor
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What the critics say

“An urgent look at emotional labor and its various intersections that many of us only recognize as entering 'womanhood'—that we should edit the expression of our emotions to accommodate and elevate others. She challenges that the invisible work of women is not only an expectation of society but also a burden that is impossible to sustain. Hackman’s words reveal the agency of women is still possible while the power of care, empathy, and love in action can lead us to the best in our humanity.”
— Eve Rodsky, New York Times bestselling author of Fair Play and National Bestseller Find Your Unicorn Space

“In this welcome and informative volume, Hackman gives us a bracing, wide-angle view of the many hidden theaters of emotional labor—at the kitchen sink, check-out counter, corporate meeting. Done wisely, emotional labor is a great gift to civilization we should all know about—intimately.” — Arlie Hochschild, author of National Book Award finalist Strangers in Their Own Land and the New York Times bestseller The Second Shift

"Expertly blending case studies and statistics, this is a profound call for reorienting 'our fundamental value systems.'" — Publishers Weekly

What listeners say about Emotional Labor

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Truly loved it and helped me grow

This book is fantastic. It's relatable, understandable and memorable. My takings have helped me express ideas and feelings in aspects across all types of relationships.
it's not pompous, or agreesive, but informative and provides examples from real people.
Recommended to all of my friends, across all genders.

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A great breakdown

A great breakdown of one definition of Emotional Labor. While it makes you angry to see how much additional labor has been put on women and people of color, understanding it is the only way it can change.

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essential listening

This book is incredible. So well researched and presented. Rose Hackman is a brilliant author and speaker. I grew as a person from listening to this.

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Excellent read

This book brings up an important topic facing us in modern time, it was educational and eye-opening. I never knew how deep emotional labour went until this book. I recommend this 100%

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This was a wonderful and insightful book about the feminine experience

Emotional Labour opened my eyes to the experience women have in society, as well as understanding the women in my life better. Many of the lessons got me through more than a handful of conflict resolutions with my wife, and our marriage is stronger for it. Every man should listen to this.

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