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Economic migration and happiness - Hairdressing and emotional labour

Laurie Taylor examines the notion of being paid to be nice in relation to hairdressing and asks whether migration leads to financial satisfaction.

Laurie Taylor asks whether migrants who move to another country for economic reasons are likely to increase their levels of happiness with higher incomes. Using the USA as a focus for his research, Dr David Bartram from Leicester University uncovers evidence that casts doubt on this assertion and he's joined by Bristol University researcher Dr Michaela Benson who has written widely about migration and happiness.

Laurie's second topic for discussion is 'being paid to be happy'. Rachel Cohen is a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Warwick and her research paper "When it pays to be friendly: Employment Relationships and Emotional Labour in Hairstyling" is discussed by Laurie and by writer Michael Bywater, who explores the broader notion of being paid to be friendly.

Producer. Chris Wilson.

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30 minutes

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  • Wed 13 Oct 2010 16:00
  • Mon 18 Oct 2010 00:15

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