Thesis
From emotional to aesthetic labour : an examination of the nature of work in the contemporary interactive service sector
- Creator
- Rights statement
- Awarding institution
- University of Strathclyde
- Date of award
- 2000
- Thesis identifier
- T10174
- Qualification Level
- Qualification Name
- Department, School or Faculty
- Abstract
- This thesis contributes to current understandings of the nature of contemporary interactive service sector work. It draws upon the concept of aesthetic labour and a theoretical perspective developed from the work of Goffman in order to examine the nature, production and management of aesthetic labour. It is argued that the concept of emotional labour, utilised in many studies of interactive service work, under appreciates the embodied nature of much of this work. However, utilising the concept of aesthetic labour allows a better understanding of the nature of new forms of interactive service work, in particular, in the ‘style’ labour market. This thesis also argues for the use of a dramaturgical approach to examining interactive service work, as this highlights the performative nature of much of this work and the organisational utilisation of employee’s embodiment. An analysis of empirical data, which details employees’ and managements’ experiences of work in the interactive service sector, draws attention to the organisational commodification of employees’ aesthetic capacities and attributes. In focussing attention on the processes of recruitment and selection, training, and management and supervision of the service encounter, the data analysis offers insight into the nature, practise and utilisation of aesthetic labour in different service industries such as retail, banking and hospitality. Thus the findings of this thesis allow the development of a more definitive conceptualisation of aesthetic labour.
- Advisor / supervisor
- Witz, Anne, 1952-2006
- Resource Type
- DOI
Relations
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File | 2025-07-15 | University of Strathclyde |