Racialized Emotional Labor: An Unseen Burden in the Public Sector

Abstract

Discussions of race have often been on the periphery emotional labor scholarship. This piece considers the link between race and emotional labor, arguing that racial bias in public organizations creates disparities in emotional labor among employees. To make this argument, this piece explores white normativity in public administration and the implications this has for people of color when managing their emotions at work. Following this discussion, the article identifies key themes from the literature, before providing a framework for future research on emotional labor and race.