ReThinking Merve Emre on Emotional Intelligence as Corporate Control
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Jun 8, 2021 Merve Emre, an Associate Professor of English at Oxford and a contributor to The New Yorker, dives deep into the controversial concept of emotional intelligence. She argues that it’s often misused in corporate environments to exploit workers. The discussion reveals the surprising origins of emotional intelligence and its evolution into a tool for corporate control. Emre examines the interplay between emotional labor and gender, challenging listeners to rethink their assumptions about emotions at work and shedding light on the dynamics of authenticity and leadership.
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Early Introduction to Emotional Intelligence
- Merve Emre was introduced to emotional intelligence at age 10 through Daniel Goleman's book.
- However, she resisted reading it, suspecting it aimed to highlight deficiencies.
Emotional Intelligence as Ideology
- Emre views emotional intelligence as a social construct, not an individual trait.
- She believes it masks the power dynamics between employees and corporations.
Social Differentiation and Emotional Intelligence
- While acknowledging individual differences in emotional responses, Emre emphasizes the social context.
- She argues that labeling something "emotional intelligence" diminishes individual capacity's importance.
