Emotional Labour of ‘Angels’: The Performances and Experiences of Male and Female Nurses in Sri Lanka

S. D. K. Wanninayake
Michael Edward O’Donnell

Abstract

Despite emotional labour being categorised as women’s work or ‘pink-collar duties’, whether women and men perform and experience emotional labour differently remains an ongoing debate. Most extant studies have explored this phenomenon in Western contexts, with limited research in non-Western contexts. Therefore, this paper explores how male and female nurses performed and experienced emotional labour in a non-Western context, namely Sri Lanka. Utilising 56 interviews with nurses, this qualitative study found that though nursing was perceived as women’s work in Sri Lanka, there were instances where female nurses performed stereotypically ‘masculine’ emotional labour and vice versa. However, constant exposure to service recipients’ aggression, psychologically ‘taking work home’, and having to combine household and caring responsibilities led female nurses to suffer greater emotional exhaustion than men.

Keywords: Emotional Labour, Gender, Nursing, Sri Lanka

Volume 12, Issue 1
June 30, 2021
Pages: 87-113

DOI: http://doi.org/10.4038/cbj.v12i1.72

Suggested citation:

Wanninayake, S.D.K. & O’Donnell, M.E. (2021). Emotional labour of ‘angels’: The performances and experiences of male and female nurses in Sri Lanka. Colombo Business Journal, 12(1), 87-113. http://doi.org/10.4038/cbj.v12i1.72

S. D. K. Wanninayake
School of Business, University of New South Wales, Australia
Dananja.Wanninayake@hrm.cmb.ac.lk

Michael Edward O’Donnell
School of Business, University of New South Wales, Australia