Businesses, especially in the service industry, are facing a…
Question Answered step-by-step Businesses, especially in the service industry, are facing a… Businesses, especially in the service industry, are facing a crisis. Workers don’t want to go back to work in low-wage jobs. Businesses and Republicans blame the extended unemployment benefits as a disincentive, while workers and Democrats say pay workers a living wage and they’ll be back. When hotels, restaurants, bars, and tourist attractions closed down last year many workers decided they didn’t want to deal with angry people who refused to wear a mask and social distance, and some decided they wanted to get training for a better job or education for a new career. Others decided minimum wage was not enough to put their health and their lives at risk. Recall from the work chapter the discussion of “emotional labor,” which sociologist Arlie Hochschild suggests is a characteristic of the modern service economy. These jobs might be in education, health care, childcare, elder care, hospitality, retail, customer service, and other businesses. Emotional labor is, in a sense, the new physical labor a commodity sold for a wage, used for a company’s profit, and perhaps a source of alienation and exploitation. Think about jobs you have held or currently hold and about your job experiences. Have you held any jobs requiring “emotional labor?” Do you know anyone who does? How do they feel about emotional labor? Do you agree with Hochschild’s characterization of these jobs? Why or why not? Social Science Sociology SOC 200 Share QuestionEmailCopy link Comments (0)


