What does “emotional labor” even mean?!
Scripps College resident assistants (RAs) recently hung two types of signs titled “Emotional Labor 101” across campus to warn students against “making people uncomfortable.”
One of the signs, printed on a white background, is titled, “Quick Guide For White Students.” The other poster, printed on black paper, is titled, “Quick Guide For People Of Color And Marginalized Backgrounds.”
Both signs, which are marked with the Scripps College administration’s stamp of approval, define “emotional labor” as “the exertion of energy for the purpose of addressing people’s feelings, educating, making people comfortable, or living up to social ‘expectations.’”
