Merve Emre on emotional intelligence as corporate control (Re-release)
WorkLife with Adam Grant
Deep Dive
Why is Merve Emre skeptical about the concept of emotional intelligence?
Merve Emre is skeptical about emotional intelligence because she believes it has been co-opted as a form of corporate control, used to exploit employees by making them feel responsible for managing their emotions rather than addressing systemic issues in the workplace. She also finds the term 'intelligence' misleading and prefers to focus on the social and relational aspects of emotional labor.
Why does Merve Emre think emotional intelligence is a form of corporate control?
Merve Emre thinks emotional intelligence is a form of corporate control because it shifts the focus from systemic issues to individual behavior. By convincing employees to manage their emotions, it represses resentment towards poor working conditions and makes it easier for corporations to profit from emotional labor without providing adequate support or benefits.
Why does Merve Emre believe emotional intelligence is often used as a band-aid in the corporate world?
Merve Emre believes emotional intelligence is often used as a band-aid because organizations use it to address symptoms of stress and burnout without tackling the root causes, such as abusive bosses, oppressive rules, and lack of job security. This approach allows companies to avoid making meaningful structural changes.
Why does Merve Emre think the term 'emotional labor' is more appropriate than 'emotional intelligence'?
Merve Emre thinks the term 'emotional labor' is more appropriate because it emphasizes the social and relational aspects of managing emotions in the workplace, rather than individualizing the concept. She argues that emotional labor highlights the power dynamics and economic conditions that influence how and why people manage their emotions.
Why does Merve Emre critique the examples used in Daniel Goleman's book on emotional intelligence?
Merve Emre critiques the examples in Daniel Goleman's book because they often attribute violent or emotional outbursts to individual mean-spiritedness, ignoring broader social and economic factors. She finds it problematic that the book fails to contextualize these behaviors within the larger societal issues that may contribute to them.
Why does Merve Emre think emotional intelligence is gendered and how has this changed over time?
Merve Emre thinks emotional intelligence is gendered because it originated from feminized concepts of emotional labor, which are disproportionately expected from women in care and service jobs. However, she notes that as the service sector has expanded, the expectation to perform emotional labor has spread to jobs regardless of gender, though care work remains largely dominated by women.
Why does Merve Emre think it's important to consider the social context in emotional intelligence research?
Merve Emre thinks it's important to consider the social context in emotional intelligence research because ignoring broader cultural and structural forces can lead to misleading conclusions. For example, the ability to delay gratification in the marshmallow study is influenced by social class and trust in authority, which are often overlooked in individual-focused research.
Why does Merve Emre advocate for the freedom to withhold emotions in the workplace?
Merve Emre advocates for the freedom to withhold emotions in the workplace because she believes it should be acceptable for employees to not always make their emotional lives available to others. This freedom can reduce the pressure to perform emotional labor and protect workers from burnout and job insecurity.
Why does Merve Emre think charisma is related to emotional intelligence?
Merve Emre thinks charisma is related to emotional intelligence because both involve the ability to control and manage one's emotions to influence others. However, she notes that charisma often appears effortless, which can hide the effort and rehearsal that go into projecting a charismatic front.
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