Invisible labor is a
philosophical
Philosophy ('love of wisdom' in Ancient Greek) is a systematic study of general and fundamental questions concerning topics like existence, reason, knowledge, Value (ethics and social sciences), value, mind, and language. It is a rational an ...
,
sociological
Sociology is the scientific study of human society that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. The term sociology was coined in ...
, and
economic
An economy is an area of the Production (economics), production, Distribution (economics), distribution and trade, as well as Consumption (economics), consumption of Goods (economics), goods and Service (economics), services. In general, it is ...
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.
The term has been applied to
academics,
scientists, interpreters,
wait staff
Waiting staff ( BrE), waiters () / waitresses (), or servers (AmE) are those who work at a restaurant, a diner, or a bar and sometimes in private homes, attending to customers by supplying them with food and drink as requested. Waiting staff ...
,
secretaries
A secretary, administrative assistant, executive assistant, Personal assistant, personal secretary, or other similar titles is an individual whose work consists of supporting management, including executives, using a variety of project manageme ...
, and women in the household,
who bear most of the invisible labor in terms of cleaning, planning, and organizing.
Even when women are equally employed, they still are responsible for the majority of invisible labor, including
cognitive labor.
Invisible labor has a toll on the mental, physical, and psychological well-being of those who perform it, and it reflects ongoing power dynamics and gender imbalances between those whose work 'counts' and those whose work remains 'unseen.' Invisible labor also falls disproportionately on marginalized groups as a factor of race or other identity characteristics,
to the point it has been referred to as "cultural taxation."
Strategies for addressing invisible labor include acknowledgement and increasing visibility, distributing tasks more equally, implementing policies that recognize or reduce such work, challenging disparate gender and racial roles, and assigning economic value to
unpaid labor.
The concept continues to influence public discourse through books and movies. Technology has not reduced invisible labor, despite expectations or promises that it would.
See also
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Cognitive labor
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Reproductive labor
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Care work
Care work includes all tasks directly involving the care of others. The majority of care work is provided without any expectation of immediate pecuniary reward. Instead, it is undertaken out of affection, social norms or a sense of responsibility ...
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Shadow work
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Double burden
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Feminist economics
Feminist economics is the critical study of economics and economies, with a focus on gender-aware and inclusive economic inquiry and policy analysis. Feminist economic researchers include academics, activists, policy theorists, and practitio ...
*
Gender role
A gender role, or sex role, is a social norm deemed appropriate or desirable for individuals based on their gender or sex.
Gender roles are usually centered on conceptions of masculinity and femininity. The specifics regarding these gendered ...
*
Academic tenure
Tenure is a type of academic appointment that protects its holder from being fired or laid off except for Just cause (employment law), cause, or under extraordinary circumstances such as financial exigency or program discontinuation. Academic ten ...
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Precariat
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Glass ceiling
A glass ceiling is a metaphor usually applied to women, used to represent an invisible barrier that prevents a given demographic from rising beyond a certain level in a hierarchy.Federal Glass Ceiling Commission''Solid Investments: Making Ful ...
*
Standpoint theory
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Care drain
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Emotional labor
Emotional labor is the work of trying to feel the right feeling for a job, either by evoking or suppressing feelings. It requires the capacity to manage and produce a feeling to fulfill the emotional requirements of a job. More specifically, work ...
References
{{Feminism
Labor
Sociology of the family
Feminist economics
Academia