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Professionell i luften, privat på marken?

Gustafsson, Sara LU and Hansson, Elina LU (2026) PSYK12 20252
Department of Psychology
Abstract
The aim of this study was to examine how cabin crew experienced the transition
between their professional and private roles, and how uniforms, collegial and
organizational support, and the organization’s emotional rules influenced this
process. A qualitative method with an abductive research design was used. Data
were collected through semi-structured interviews with five female cabin crew
members employed in various Scandinavian airlines. The study was grounded
in theories of emotional labour, dramaturgical role performance, and enclothed
cognition. The interviews were analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological
Analysis (IPA), focusing on the participants' subjective experiences. The
findings showed that emotional labour... (More)
The aim of this study was to examine how cabin crew experienced the transition
between their professional and private roles, and how uniforms, collegial and
organizational support, and the organization’s emotional rules influenced this
process. A qualitative method with an abductive research design was used. Data
were collected through semi-structured interviews with five female cabin crew
members employed in various Scandinavian airlines. The study was grounded
in theories of emotional labour, dramaturgical role performance, and enclothed
cognition. The interviews were analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological
Analysis (IPA), focusing on the participants' subjective experiences. The
findings showed that emotional labour constituted a central and normalized part
of cabin crew work. The uniform functioned as a symbolic and practical marker
of the professional role, activating feeling rules and shaping emotional
regulation both on and off duty. While the uniform was experienced as a
protective barrier against passengers’ behavior, it could also contribute to
delayed emotional processing after emotionally demanding situations. Collegial
support emerged as a key resource for managing emotional demands and setting
boundaries between work and private life, whereas organizational support was
perceived as uneven and, in some cases, unsatisfactory. The study concluded
that the transition between professional and private roles was a complex and
individual process shaped by the interaction of uniform symbolism, collegial
relations, organizational conditions, and individual coping strategies. The
findings contribute to a deeper understanding of emotional labour in modern
aviation and highlight the importance of targeted organizational support to
promote cabin crew well-being and work-life balance. (Less)
Abstract (Swedish)
Syftet med studien var att undersöka hur kabinpersonal upplevde övergången
mellan yrkesroll och privatliv, samt hur uniform, kollegialt och organisatoriskt
stöd och organisationens känsloregler påverkade denna process. Studien hade
sin utgångspunkt i teorier om emotionellt arbete, dramaturgisk rollteori och
enclothed cognition. En kvalitativ ansats med en abduktiv forskningsdesign
användes. Datainsamlingen bestod av semistrukturerade intervjuer med fem
kvinnliga flygvärdinnor anställda inom olika skandinaviska flygbolag.
Intervjuerna analyserades med hjälp av Interpretative Phenomenological
Analysis (IPA), med fokus på deltagarnas subjektiva upplevelser. Resultatet
visade att emotionellt arbete utgjorde en central och normaliserad... (More)
Syftet med studien var att undersöka hur kabinpersonal upplevde övergången
mellan yrkesroll och privatliv, samt hur uniform, kollegialt och organisatoriskt
stöd och organisationens känsloregler påverkade denna process. Studien hade
sin utgångspunkt i teorier om emotionellt arbete, dramaturgisk rollteori och
enclothed cognition. En kvalitativ ansats med en abduktiv forskningsdesign
användes. Datainsamlingen bestod av semistrukturerade intervjuer med fem
kvinnliga flygvärdinnor anställda inom olika skandinaviska flygbolag.
Intervjuerna analyserades med hjälp av Interpretative Phenomenological
Analysis (IPA), med fokus på deltagarnas subjektiva upplevelser. Resultatet
visade att emotionellt arbete utgjorde en central och normaliserad del av
kabinpersonalens arbete. Uniformen fungerade som en symbolisk och praktisk
markör för yrkesrollen och aktiverade organisationens känsloregler, vilket
påverkade hur deltagarna reglerade sina känslor både i och utanför arbetet.
Samtidigt upplevdes uniformen som ett skydd mot passagerares beteenden, men
kunde också bidra med en fördröjd emotionell bearbetning efter känslomässigt
krävande situationer. Kollegialt stöd framträdde som en viktig resurs för att
hantera emotionella krav och underlätta gränsdragningen mellan arbete och
privatliv, medan organisatoriskt stöd upplevdes som ojämnt och i vissa fall
otillräcklig. Studiens slutsats var att övergången mellan yrkesroll och privatliv
är en komplex och individuell process som formas av samspelet mellan
uniformens symbolik, kollegiala relationer, organisatoriska förutsättningar och
individuella strategier för känsloreglering och återhämtning. Resultatet bidrar
till en fördjupad förståelse av emotionellt arbete inom flygindustrin och belyser
vikten av riktat organisatoriskt stöd för att främja kabinpersonalens
välbefinnande och balansen mellan arbete och privatliv. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Gustafsson, Sara LU and Hansson, Elina LU
supervisor
organization
course
PSYK12 20252
year
type
M2 - Bachelor Degree
subject
keywords
emotionellt arbete, kabinpersonal, uniform, känsloregler, balans mellan arbete och privatliv, emotional labour, cabin crew, work-life balance, feeling rules
language
Swedish
id
9221223
date added to LUP
2026-01-29 15:29:55
date last changed
2026-01-29 15:29:55
@misc{9221223,
  abstract     = {{The aim of this study was to examine how cabin crew experienced the transition
between their professional and private roles, and how uniforms, collegial and
organizational support, and the organization’s emotional rules influenced this
process. A qualitative method with an abductive research design was used. Data
were collected through semi-structured interviews with five female cabin crew
members employed in various Scandinavian airlines. The study was grounded
in theories of emotional labour, dramaturgical role performance, and enclothed
cognition. The interviews were analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological
Analysis (IPA), focusing on the participants' subjective experiences. The
findings showed that emotional labour constituted a central and normalized part
of cabin crew work. The uniform functioned as a symbolic and practical marker
of the professional role, activating feeling rules and shaping emotional
regulation both on and off duty. While the uniform was experienced as a
protective barrier against passengers’ behavior, it could also contribute to
delayed emotional processing after emotionally demanding situations. Collegial
support emerged as a key resource for managing emotional demands and setting
boundaries between work and private life, whereas organizational support was
perceived as uneven and, in some cases, unsatisfactory. The study concluded
that the transition between professional and private roles was a complex and
individual process shaped by the interaction of uniform symbolism, collegial
relations, organizational conditions, and individual coping strategies. The
findings contribute to a deeper understanding of emotional labour in modern
aviation and highlight the importance of targeted organizational support to
promote cabin crew well-being and work-life balance.}},
  author       = {{Gustafsson, Sara and Hansson, Elina}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Professionell i luften, privat på marken?}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}