What does this research mean for the field?

Conversational AI can function as a narrative scaffold and reflective companion that enables women in emotionally demanding roles to articulate silenced emotions, surface emotional labor, and renegotiate their identities. Novelty: ClaimNovelty.NOVEL_FINDING. Consensus alignment: ConsensusAlignment.ESTABLISHES_NEW_DIRECTION.

What question did this study set out to answer?

To examine how conversational artificial intelligence can serve as a catalyst for reflexive sensemaking, identity awareness, and navigating emotional labour in academic motherhood.

August 23, 2026Qualitative Research Journal

Awakening with AI: an autoethnographic exploration of emotional labour and identity formation in a young academic mother

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Authors

NZNurul Afiqah ZulkiflyUniversiti Putra Malaysia

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Implication

Autoethnographic study reveals conversational AI acts as a reflective scaffold for navigating emotional labour in an academic mother, highlighting its role in identity renegotiation.

Key Points

To examine how conversational artificial intelligence can serve as a catalyst for reflexive sensemaking, identity awareness, and navigating emotional labour in academic motherhood.
Conducted an analytic autoethnography utilizing sustained conversational AI-mediated dialogues combined with reflexive writing.
Analyzed the interactions using frameworks from emotional labour theory, transformative learning, and feminist standpoint perspectives.
Demonstrated that AI dialogue facilitated the articulation of suppressed feelings and illuminated internalized obedience, inherited familial scripts, and gendered societal expectations.
Identified conversational AI's primary role as a non-prescriptive narrative scaffold enabling reflexive distancing and identity re-seeing rather than an authoritative or therapeutic agent.

Cite This Study

Nurul Afiqah Zulkifly (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a8aae507677a3411444739b https://doi.org/10.1108/qrj-12-2025-0458

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Implication

Autoethnographic study reveals conversational AI acts as a reflective scaffold for navigating emotional labour in an academic mother, highlighting its role in identity renegotiation.

Awakening with AI: an autoethnographic exploration of emotional labour and identity formation in a young academic mother

Discussion

Member takes

Implication

Key Points

Cite This Study

Awakening with AI: an autoethnographic exploration of emotional labour and identity formation in a young academic mother

Discussion

Member takes

Implication

Key Points

Cite This Study

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