Unpaid Public Work is Not Cost Free: Military Spouses Performing Emotional Labor

Abstract

Historically, unpaid work was expected of women in many walks of life, privately, in the domestic sphere, and in the public sphere supporting their husband’s career. As women have gained rights of individual recognition and pursued their own careers, the formal expectations of military spouses have diminished. This study explored the meaning and impact of unpaid public work on the health and wellbeing of spouses of senior military Service people. Data are presented from: 12 interviews with spouses from six countries; a group discussion interviewed women; and a workshop with spouses who had not previously participated in the research. A modified grounded approach found that the unpaid public work undertaken involves emotional labor in both private/domestic and public spheres. The impact of unpaid public work is characterized by paradoxes: facilitating care for others while delaying care for oneself; loneliness alongside loss of privacy and control; and valuing the unpaid public work while the general public and military institution may not. This research illuminates the need for support for those continuing to engage in unpaid public work in the future as well as the work that may need to be undertaken by other agencies where spouses no longer provide unpaid work.

Keywords:

• Unpaid public work
• military spouse
• public expectations
• mental health
• delayed care
• formal value
• emotional labor
• self-identity
• informal influence
• peer support

Acknowledgments

My sincere thanks to the women who entrusted me with their narratives and who taught me about their lives. For support in kind from the Royal Air Force Families Association (RAFA), the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund (RAFBF), the MacArthur Memorial Archives and Library, especially James Zobel and Amanda Williams and my advisory group.