Revised When Work Came Home Study Notes 4/1

Title: When work came home: Formation of feeling rules in the context of a pandemic
Authors: Sarah Rudrum, Elisabeth Rondinelli, Jesse Carlson, Lesley Frank, Rachel K. Brickner, Rebecca Casey
Affiliation: Sociology, Acadia University, Wolfville, NS, Canada
Journal: Emotion, Space and Society Volume 42 (2022) Article 100861
Publication Date: Available online 20 November 2021
Keywords: COVID-19 pandemic, Work, Gender, Arlie Hochschild, Sociology, Canada

The COVID-19 pandemic instigated a profound transition for many middle-class jobs as they swiftly shifted to home settings due to health measures aimed at curbing the spread of the virus, which included restrictions on movement and the closure of schools and daycares.
This unprecedented transition resulted in a range of dynamic changes in daily life and emotional experiences, particularly for parents, who suddenly found themselves balancing work and family responsibilities within the same physical space.
A qualitative study conducted in Nova Scotia, Canada, utilized journal entries from participants working remotely during the pandemic. This research revealed significant conflicts between prior expectations and the new norms that emerged due to the pandemic, highlighting the shifting landscape of emotional labor.
Participants documented various changes to their daily routines, described parenting challenges they encountered, and reflected on a wide range of emotions in response to life during the pandemic, as well as their aspirations for the future.

The research leverages Arlie Hochschild's seminal concepts of feeling rules and emotion work to investigate emotional labor within the context of remote work during the pandemic.
Key findings showcase how newly emerging feeling rules challenged entrenched societal expectations surrounding productivity, busyness, and work-life balance, especially as more people worked from home.
This article underscores the changes in emotional experiences and family dynamics that arose as work and home responsibilities increasingly intertwined, affecting individuals' emotional wellbeing and family life.

As of March 28, 2020, approximately 4.7 million Canadians adapted to working from home, resulting in a notable surge from 13% to 39% of the labor force engaged in remote work.
The article delineates sharp contrasts between individuals who could successfully transition to remote work, essential workers who remained on site, and those who faced job loss, illustrating the varied and profound social impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic across different demographics.

Hochschild's foundational work provides a historical lens on gendered labor, illustrating that the rising participation of women in the workforce has not translated into equitable distributions of domestic responsibilities.
The concept of the 'stalled revolution' elucidates contradictions in gender roles; many women experience a 'second shift' of unpaid domestic labor simultaneous to their professional obligations.
The pandemic unveiled and intensified discussions around family life and professional responsibilities, challenging traditional feeling rules and prompting critical reflections on work-life balance and emotional labor expectations.

Between May and July 2020, a 10-week qualitative study collected detailed journal entries from five participants confronting the rigorous public health mandates posed by the pandemic.
Each participant's demographic details:
- David: Teacher, navigating complex family dynamics with shared custody arrangements.
- Jeanne: Public administrator, balancing family obligations alongside her husband’s ongoing mental health issues.
- Jessica: Research epidemiologist, working from home while managing a household with her husband, who is frequently away, and raising one son.
- Phyllis: Administrator at a non-profit organization, juggling hybrid parenting responsibilities.
- Yanick: Professor, adjusting work-from-home practices while managing immune conditions within the family.
The journals offered insights into nuanced emotional responses, reflections, and comprehensive reasoning as participants grappled with the pressures associated with remote work settings.

Navigating Work-Home Dynamics: Participants illustrated the increasingly blurry boundaries between professional and domestic roles, resulting in complex emotional experiences that were deeply intertwined with their identities as workers and parents.
Feeling Rules in Flux: The normative regulations governing emotional expression underwent substantial changes, with participants' extensive journaling revealing their struggles with feelings of inadequacy, overwhelm, and role confusion.
Gendered Division of Labor: Despite both partners engaging in remote work, the disproportionate burden of household responsibilities continued to fall on women, revealing persistent gender inequities and the emotional labor often taken for granted.
Impact on Mental Health: Participants reported significant increases in stress levels and difficulties in establishing work-life boundaries, illustrating the persistent emotional distress they faced due to conflicting family duties and professional obligations.
Desires for Change: A pronounced call for structural transformations in work organization was evident, reflecting participants' desire for reevaluation of both family responsibilities and societal expectations surrounding work.

Participants actively engaged in complex emotion work, navigating both micro-level family dynamics and larger societal expectations that shaped their emotional experiences.
Hidden emotions were uncovered, including frustrations regarding inequitable divisions of domestic labor coupled with private joys stemming from the absence of structured external activities, thereby highlighting the duality of their emotional journey during this time.

The narrative showcases a broader societal reckoning concerning work structures and the emotional labor associated with parenting during a crisis, indicating potential for radical transformations that extend beyond the pandemic context.
The insights emphasize the necessity for critically addressing gender roles, emotional work, and productivity perceptions in post-pandemic dialogues about work and family life.