Emotional labour in the boundary work of Filipino transnational workers in Indian cities

Abstract This article examines the boundary work undertaken by Filipino transnational workers in globalizing Indian cities. While the ‘practice turn’ in boundary studies has shed light on boundary work's mundane and performative dimensions, the role of emotions in performing such work needs to be ascertained. To account for both the performative and emotional dimensions of boundary work, I present an ethnographic study on Filipino professionals in India that engages Hochschild's concept of emotional labour. Since the mid-2000s, local and multinational companies have hired Filipino professionals to set up businesses and manage operations. I examined their practices of boundary work through in-depth interviews and participant observation at work and in everyday life. Given the dynamics of seniority, unequal gender relations and ethnic othering in the workplace, Filipino professionals are required to demonstrate their authority and expertise. To succeed in establishing their professional or managerial roles, they perform emotional labour as they construct, maintain and reconfigure professional boundaries. I argue that the performance of boundary work requires emotional labour. In the case of Filipino transnationals in India, emotions in boundary work facilitate cooperation through their communicative and transformative functions. The present study adds to our understanding of how emotions work in the context of international migration.