I DON’T BELONG HERE: THE EMOTIONAL FABRIC OF WORKPLACE CULTURE

This talk is aimed at people who are fairly successful in their job and yet feel like they do not belong. Something is off but you cannot put your finger on it. These feelings might be reinforced in times of COVID-19 when things are changing at rapid speed and uncertainty is heightened. To unpack this, the talk will focus on the emotional fabric of our workplaces that are often structured by competition, emotional toughness, and stamina. We explore the emotional quality of our workplaces through the concept of masculinity contest culture and find ways to mitigate its damaging effects on us and others.