Economic Update: Economics of Emotional Labor

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On this week's episode of Economic Update, Prof. Wolff provides updates on new French labor law, obesity economics, universal basic income, a mobile home coop, and Danish day care. Interview with Dr Harriet Fraad on emotional labor.


Showing 5 comments

  • David Huff
    commented 2017-02-03 16:08:38 -0500
    Dr Fraad

    The Women’s March was awesome. I participated in Pittsburgh. The original permit for the action here was for 400 people, 25,000 came out. I have an idea that would be a great next action for this unified woman led movement. My problem is getting this idea front of someone with a voice in the higher levels of organizing.

    A one day “Women’s Boycott”, where women all over the country just don’t go to the store or a restaurant on an upcoming Saturday. Women control or directly influence in excess of 70% of all consumer spending. The economic impact it would have would be devastating. The amount of revenue lost would put a gaping hole in corporate/capitalist’s spreadsheets.

    The beauty of it is that there is no requirement to gather to participate. No contributions need be solicited. The numbers on 1.21.17 were staggering. Imagine how many more women would participate in a stay home protest. Promote it as a day to volunteer and cook a family meal together, not by just the woman of the home.

    This is a fantastic idea that is custom made for internet/social media organizing. I am just looking for someone with the right kind of connections to pick up this ball. I think that it will need to be women who are the driving force behind the next great social change in this country. Only one category of rights transcends all other civil rights movements, women’s rights.

    I’m not looking for recognition or personal gain. I am just not in possession of the resources to get it going. OK, maybe dinner with you and Dr Wolff. I haven’t missed an Economic Update since 2012. I hope this is an idea that you or someone you know would run with.

    Respectfully,
    David Huff
  • John Rhoads
    commented 2017-01-10 22:34:09 -0500
    Kudos to Harriett! Meeting the needs of others has an emotional component which is totally overlooked. This subject has two extremes. 1. Laboring emotionally to meet the needs of someone who can genuinely benefit from such labor (good will). 2. Laboring emotionally to meet the needs of someone who is predicated on abusive and tyrannical behavior (a form of enablng, fear or walking on eggshells). I’m curious how many people unknowingly fall into category 2? I can see capitalism as equivalent to the recipient person in category 2 but collectively. Wow!
  • John Rhoads
    commented 2017-01-10 21:41:04 -0500
    Why I am a supporter of Ricky! Great show. Slam dunk! I’m never disappointed.
  • Dan Va
    commented 2017-01-10 14:27:13 -0500
    Adam Smith as per Robert Heilbroner; The Worldly Philosophers observed that once market saturation was reached by industrial-labor cycles, it would become necessary for industry to recognize and compensate formerly taken for granted labors and efforts of the working class. This appears to be consistent with emotional labor.
  • Autumn Evelyn
    commented 2017-01-09 14:32:37 -0500
    Thank you Professor Wolff, and thank you Dr. Harriet Fraad. Emotional labor is by far one of the most undervalued and overlooked type of labor in our society. I am so glad this was brought up, and hopefully their will be more ways to bring more recognition and compensation to this type of labor in the future.
    I am an artist, illustrator, and graphic designer. All I can say from what I have experienced in working in the creative field, is that art helps people immensely in unmeasurable ways. The labor is definitely there, but it is unaccounted for and often discredited. I can only hope that art and other forms of emotional labor will become more recognized as a valued part of our culture, society, and all the things that makes us human.

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