Invisible labor
Invisible labor is a philosophical, sociological, and economic concept applying to work that is unseen, unvalued or undervalued, and often discounted as not important, despite its essential role in supporting the functioning of workplaces, families, teams, and organizations. The term was coined by Arlene Kaplan Daniels in the 1980s.[1][2] The term has been applied to academics,[3] secretaries,[4] and women in the household,[5] who bear most of the invisible labor in terms of cleaning, planning, and organizing.[5] Even when women are equally employed, they still are responsible for the majority of invisible labor.[6] This has a toll on the mental, physical, and psychological well-being of those who perform invisible labor, and it reflects ongoing power dynamics and gender imbalances between those whose work 'counts' and those whose work remains 'unseen.'[7][8]
See also
Further reading
- Crain, Marion G.; Poster, Winifred Rebecca; Cherry, Miriam A. (2016). Invisible labor: hidden work in the contemporary world. Oakland (Calif.): University of California press. ISBN 978-0-520-28640-5.
References
- ^ Hatton, Erin (April 2017). "Mechanisms of invisibility: rethinking the concept of invisible work". Work, Employment and Society. 31 (2): 336–351. doi:10.1177/0950017016674894. ISSN 0950-0170.
- ^ Daniels, Arlene Kaplan (December 1987). "Invisible Work". Social Problems. 34 (5): 403–415. doi:10.2307/800538.
- ^ Gordon, Hava Rachel; Willink, Kate; Hunter, Keeley (June 2024). "Invisible labor and the associate professor: Identity and workload inequity". Journal of Diversity in Higher Education. 17 (3): 285–296. doi:10.1037/dhe0000414. ISSN 1938-8934.
- ^ Wichroski, Mary (March 1994). "The Secretary: Invisible Labor in the Workworld of Women". Human Organization. 53 (1): 33–41. doi:10.17730/humo.53.1.a1205g53j7334631. ISSN 0018-7259.
- ^ a b Ciciolla, Lucia; Luthar, Suniya S. (October 2019). "Invisible Household Labor and Ramifications for Adjustment: Mothers as Captains of Households". Sex Roles. 81 (7–8): 467–486. doi:10.1007/s11199-018-1001-x. ISSN 0360-0025. PMC 8223758. PMID 34177072.
- ^ Piñon, Natasha (2020-09-11). "Invisible labor is real, and it hurts: What you need to know". Mashable. Retrieved 2024-09-20.
- ^ "How to End the Unfairness of Invisible Work". Time. 2023-09-26. Retrieved 2024-09-20.
- ^ "5 Things to Know About Invisible Labor". Optum. Retrieved 2024-09-20.
