Interspecies emotion management: The importance of distinguishing between emotion work and emotional labour

Abstract

This paper presents the importance of the informed and nuanced distinction and use of the terms “emotion work” and “emotional labour” when referring to interspecies work. When emotional labour is acknowledged as a professional skill across species, two realities can be recognised and therefore acted upon. Firstly, it clarifies that emotional labour is performed by workers with formal jobs during working hours. By extension, the second reality arises, that emotional labour is a professional skill requiring preparation, education, and ongoing support. Using the terms emotion work and emotional labour muddies and weakens this argument. This paper rests at the intersection of emotion management and animal labour studies, two fields that have thus far predominantly run parallel, despite a critical need for their interdisciplinary engagement.