“Not all care is love” : The impact of love labour and care on the career trajectories of doctorate holders

Abstract

Feminist scholars have argued that care and, by extension, care work, is the foundation of every society, as most social practices and economies rely on it. However, despite the importance of loving and caring, these activities often go unnoticed. This article studies the impact of having to provide care and love on the career trajectories of men and women doctorate holders working within and outside academia in Iceland, a country that has consistently topped the Gender Gap Index since 2009. The findings are based on interviews with 32 doctorate holders. By treating love labour and care as theoretical tools, the analysis revealed that the women interviewees perceived themselves to be responsible for most of their intimate love relationships and nurturing in their families. This is problematic, as love labour is not as easily outsourced as care work. Furthermore, the results showed that men were more likely to occupy certain care roles than to provide love labour. This affords them more time and mental space than is the case for women to establish their careers. While the men viewed this gendered division of labour as a matter of personal choice, the women felt that their options were limited, and experienced feelings of guilt.