Page 129 - The Disneyization of Society

THE DISNEYIZATION OF SOCIETY

Zoos frequently enlarge the field of emotional labour by conscripting their
animal inmates, particularly the large mammals, into the performative realm that
120 such labour inhabits. In effect, human emotional labour can be simulated when
the animals are enticed to display behaviour that can be interpreted by the audi-
ence as indicative of an emotion, such as friendliness, humour, or mischievous-
ness (as when Shamu soaks the first ten rows in Sea World’s Shamu show). Such
displays are not only spectacular performances in themselves, but also serve to
increase the attractiveness of cuddly merchandise and souvenirs based on the
animals concerned. Desmond also argues that the emphasis placed in such perfor-
mances on the animals’ ‘love’ of their trainers further serves to enhance the
plausibility for the audience of these displays of apparent emotional expression
that is an ingredient of emotional labour. 79 It also brings out the performative
element that is a feature of most emotional labour.

Other domains of emotional labour

The foregoing discussion has emphasized some of the major spheres in which
emotional labour has taken place in late modern society. However, it does not
exhaust all of them by any means. The following is a catalogue of others along
with a brief discussion of each.
• American criminal justice system The police and other agents of the American criminal
justice system have long had to engage in emotional labour but Robinson has argued
that the emergence of community policing is a particularly striking indicator of the
growth of emotional labour. 80 Community policing entails an orientation to dealing
with the problems that engender crimes rather than with crimes once they have
occurred, which is traditional law enforcement. Robinson argues that the move towards
community policing typically entails dealing with social services and with the public in
a more friendly and accommodating way than is normally the case. In this way, the
image of the police changes in the direction of a friendlier, more approachable group.
• Fitness trainers Fitness clubs are well-known for having a high ‘churn rate’, whereby it is
difficult to retain members. There is often little to distinguish clubs in terms of equipment
and facilities, so the role of frontline staff become paramount in keeping members. In a
study of fitness trainers in the United States, Maguire found that there was a recognition
of the need to demonstrate emotional labour. 81 The need for emotional labour was
particularly evident when trainers had to act as motivators to clients who were often tired
or not keen on training at a certain time. Trainers needed to use emotional labour to
increase clients’ motivation to work out, in large part because if clients become disen-
chanted with a fitness regime they will either leave the club or give up altogether.
• Beauty therapists In a study of beauty therapists in Britain, Sharma and Black note that
the work of the women they studied is similar in certain respects to Hochschild’s flight
attendants. 82 Fliers are often anxious and insecure about flying, so that an important
aspect of the attendant’s emotional labour is one of putting them at ease. Similarly, the