Emotion Work in Voluntary Peer Collaboration

An autoethnographic analysis of nodal points in a challenging mediation

Abstract

Previous research on peer collaboration in voluntary social work emphasizes the importance of strong ideals and emotional engagement. A sense of community among volunteers fosters commitment and creates a positive work environment. However, little is known about how volunteers handle disagreements in real-life interactions. From an emotion-sociological and autoethnographic perspective, we examine a situation in which the authors, acting as mediators, facilitated a challenging conflict resolution. In the follow-up email exchange, we analyze how the writer engages in emotion work, managing tensions between differing perspectives on how to act in unpredictable and emotionally charged situations. By exploring three nodal points of emotional “struckness”, this study illustrates how ethical aspirations to “do good” are interpreted differently in practice. The findings reveal that emotion work is influenced by invisible moral norms and feeling rules, which create tension around determining the “right” course of action. This places volunteers in emotionally demanding situations as they attempt to align with these norms in both collegial relationships and situational practices. Examining moments of emotional “struckness” can foster critical reflection, enabling volunteers to better understand and navigate these implicit norms. A reflexive examination of these nodal points can reduce the burden of emotion work while promoting ethical insights into how individual and professional values shape specific contexts.