Emotional Labor: Why A Woman’s Work is Never Done and What To Do About It

by Regina F. Lark, Judith Kolberg (Contributor)

Emotional labor is the unnoticed, unwaged, unwritten work women do in the home and in the paid workforce. It includes everything from assuring socks match to coping with a virus, schooling, a job and family life all under one roof. Largely invisible, the mental load of emotional labor weighs heavily on the shoulders of women. Dr. Regina Lark, the author of Emotional Why A Woman’s Work is Never Done and What to Do About It is a feminist historian with years of professional organizing experience in homes, offices and storage spaces. This book examines women’s relationship to emotional labor from early American history to the COVID-19 era. Emotional labor is generally thought to be women’s work, whether at home or in the office, but it is actually not gender specific. It’s just, well, work! Judith Kolberg, a thought-leader in the organizing industry, collaborates with Lark to disrupt the narrative. Lark and Kolberg give emotional labor the respect it deserves as work that is essential to a well-functioning home, family coherence, order, organization and happiness. Emotional Why A Woman’s Work is Never Done and What to Do About It advocates for a more equitable sharing of emotional labor. The book offers tools and exercises to promote equity including on-going dynamic dialogues, a brand of delegating that directly eases emotional labor, and a ground-breaking reference tool called The Emotional Labor Lifecycle. It also calls for support of social action that addresses women’s rights and equality.

Genres: Feminism

252 pages, Paperback

Published September 28, 2021

Reviews

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Regina Lark has written a phenomenal book on a fascinating topic. It is smart, thoughtful, engaging and very relatable.

Immediately after finishing the book I ordered several more copies to gift to women in my life.

We need this book. We need this conversation. Brava to Dr. Lark for tackling the topic and producing a resource that is so very valuable.

I highly recommend this book - it's a must read, well written and so very relevant.

[Hazel Thornton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I knew intuitively what "emotional labor" was, as does each woman to whom I've mentioned this book. But Part 1 goes beyond "women's intuition" and documents the unsung, unpaid, unnoticed mental work that women do all day, every day. I especially appreciated Part 2, which outlines practical steps for communicating, delegating, and de-loading ourselves (or someone we love) of the stress of carrying the emotional labor burden. Kudos, Regina Lark and Judith Kolberg!