"Be tough, never let them see what it does to you": towards an understanding of the emotional lives of economic migrants. (6th May 2010)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Lee-Treweek, Geraldine
• Is Part Of: International journal of work organisation and emotion. Volume 3:Number 3(2010)
• Page Start: 206
• Page End: 226
• Publication Date: 2010-05-06
• Subjects: migration -- abuse -- emotional capital -- emotional containment -- community cohesion -- emotional lives -- economic migrants -- geographical movement -- relocation -- low pay -- low status -- emotional management -- self-control -- neighbourhood rejection -- workplace racism -- Polish workers -- Poland -- Poles -- North West England -- UK -- United Kingdom -- working class communities -- emotional defence strategies -- work organisation -- emotion -- virtual feelings -- visceral feelings; Emotions -- Sociological aspects -- Periodicals; Organizational sociology -- Periodicals; Organizational behavior -- Periodicals; Work -- Psychological aspects -- Periodicals; 302.35
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1740-8938

Abstract

Geographical movement necessarily brings with it myriad emotions and experiences for those relocating. The work migrants do in the UK is, in the main, low paid and low status, requiring considerable emotional management and self-control (Ehrenreich and Hochschild, 2003). Also, migrants often experience neighbourhood and work place rejections and racism. This paper begins to map the emotional worlds of new Polish migrants in a small town in the North West of the UK ('Northton'), as they struggle to establish themselves in a working class community. The paper discusses emotional defence strategies deployed by participants and the tendency towards emotional containment.