The Managed Heart

The Managed Heart: Commercialization of Human Feeling by Arlie Russell Hochschild was published in 1983 during a transformative period in the labor market characterized by significant social and economic changes. This era saw an unprecedented rise in women’s participation in the workforce and a shift toward a service-oriented economy, both of which form the backdrop for Hochschild’s exploration of emotional labor.

The 1980s marked a pivotal moment for women in the workforce. Following the feminist movements of the 1960s and 1970s, more women than ever entered the labor market, challenging traditional gender roles and expectations. By 1983, the rate of women’s participation in the labor force had increased dramatically. This rise was fueled by various factors, including greater access to higher education, legal reforms such as the Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978, and the increasing availability of birth control, which allowed women to plan their careers and families more effectively. These societal shifts enabled women to aspire to and achieve greater economic independence, as their growing presence in professional and managerial roles reflected.

Concurrently, the US economy shifted away from manufacturing and toward service industries. The decline in manufacturing jobs and the expansion of service-oriented roles underscored the importance of emotional labor.