"How you keep going": Voluntary sector practitioners' story-lines as emotion work

Area of Science:

• Social Sciences
• Sociology
• Psychology

Background:

• The voluntary sector provides critical support to marginalized populations globally.
• Practitioners face significant resource shortages and political obstacles, impacting their capacity.
• Limited research exists on the lived experiences of these frontline workers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore how penal voluntary sector practitioners in England and Scotland sustain their efforts amidst adversity.
• To understand the role of personal and professional resources in practitioner resilience.
• To analyze the narratives practitioners use to cope with challenging work conditions.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative analysis combining symbolic interactionism and the concept of story-lines.
• Examination of practitioner narratives to understand their motivations and coping strategies.
• Focus on the emotional labor involved in supporting criminalized individuals.

Main Results:

• Practitioners mobilize specific story-lines (resignation, strategy, refuge) to manage difficult emotions.
• These narratives function as emotion work, mitigating feelings of anger, frustration, and sadness.
• Story-lines enable practitioners to persist in their work despite significant barriers.

Conclusions:

• Practitioner story-lines are vital for emotional regulation and continued engagement in challenging social work.
• Understanding these coping mechanisms can inform support strategies for the voluntary sector.
• The findings highlight the resilience of practitioners working with criminalized populations.