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Emotional labor and professional practice in sports medicine and science
Author(s) -
Hings R. F.,
Wagstaff C. R. D.,
Thelwell R. C.,
Gilmore S.,
Anderson V.
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
scandinavian journal of medicine and science in sports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.575
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1600-0838
pISSN - 0905-7188
DOI - 10.1111/sms.12941
Subject(s) - thematic analysis , emotional labor , sports science , elite , sports medicine , psychology , sport management , medical education , professional development , applied psychology , qualitative research , medicine , public relations , social psychology , sociology , social science , political science , physiology , psychiatry , politics , law
The aim of this study was to explore how sport medicine and science practitioners manage their emotions through emotional labor when engaging in professional practice in elite sport. To address the research aim a semistructured interview design was adopted. Specifically, eighteen professional sport medicine and science staff provided interviews. The sample comprised sport and exercise psychologists (n=6), strength and conditioning coaches (n=5), physiotherapists (n=5), one sports doctor and one generic sport scientist. Following a process of thematic analysis, the results were organized into the following overarching themes: (a) factors influencing emotional labor enactment, (b) emotional labor enactment, and (c) professional and personal outcomes. The findings provide a novel contribution to understanding the professional demands faced by practitioners and are discussed in relation to the development of professional competencies and the welfare and performance of sport medics and scientists.