Let's Talk Emotions : Re-envisioning the Writing Center through Consultant Emotional Labor

Abstract

Based on current literature and writing center lore, there is a lack of discussion surrounding the emotional labor of writing center consultants; however, the environment of the writing center and the job parameters create boundaries for consultant emotional expression thereby requiring that consultants engage in emotional labor to perform their role in the writing center. Drawing from one-hundred and six surveys and eleven interviews of consultants and directors, the results of this study demonstrate that consultants often engage in emotional labor through expressing positive emotions and suppressing negative emotions by using a variety of emotional management strategies. Discussions of emotional expression and emotional management provide grounding for the kinds of emotional labor consultants engage in and how consultants talk about that emotional labor. Moreover, consultants also discuss their emotional labor in terms of adhering to professional behavior making professionalism a potential catalyst for promoting productive discussion about emotional labor. The research demonstrates that triggers for consultant emotional labor stem from our beliefs about the job of a writing center consultant, writing center lore, consultant training, and administrator guidelines leading to the creation of consultant feeling rules. By making this emotional labor visible, we have the ability to provide consultants with resources about managing their emotions and what roles emotions can play in the work we do as consultants.