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WORLD ANTHROPOLOGICAL UNION

CONGRESS 2024​

Paper

Privileged Emotional Management: Chinese Female Gynecologists’ Emotional Practice

presenters

    Yubai Li

    Nationality: China

    Residence: UK

    University of Edinburgh

    Presence:Face to Face/ On Site

From the paradigm of symbolic interactionism, this study explores how Chinese female gynecologists manage and display their emotions as capitals in a way that blurs and re-construct the boundary between emotional management and emotional work. Methodologically, it based on two years of field research conducted in both first-tier and third-tier cities in China, allowing for a nuanced comparison that sheds light on the complexities of intersectionality within these medical settings. I adopt an ethnographic approach complemented by semi-structured interviews to delve into the experiences of doctors, nurses, and patients within the realm of gynecology, reproductive restoration, and assisted reproductive services. This study finds that as "privileged emotional managers," gynecologists emphasize their power based on their professional status and the discourse of reproductive technology, thus strategically constructing the field of emotional management. During this process, they actively construct the frontstage and backstage, along with the feeling rules and the expression rules, by leveraging their privileged position in the intricacies of class and gender formation within a medical setting. Furthermore, the intervention and establishment of personal relationships in the professional sphere dissolve the setting of emotional management, facilitating the construction of multiple emotional experiences and strategies. In addition to delineating the scenarios and norms associated with emotional labor, doctors employ a variety of techniques to identify the subjects of their emotional labor, where the relational dynamics between doctors and patients is amplified by the professional status of gynecologists. Through the gender lens, the nuanced performances of doctors can be further understood as a manifestation of female camaraderie within the medical settings. They adopt roles reminiscent of maternal figures or sisterhood, not only navigate the professional demands of their roles but also engage in practices of empathy and support that mirror broader patterns of female mutual aid.

Keywords:

Emotional Management; Emotional Practice; Reproduction Justice; Gynecologist; Boundary Work