“I never display my emotions”: emotion suppression among Ultra-Orthodox female teachers

Abstract

Purpose The current study explored the process of emotion regulation among Ultra-Orthodox female teachers in Jewish educational system in Israel. Design/methodology/approach The study employed a semi-structured interview comprising 13 Ultra-Orthodox female teachers in single-sex education for girls. Findings The teachers preferred to suppress their positive and negative emotions rather than displaying them in their interactions with students, emphasizing the importance of self-restraint and self-control in their professional work and in their religious society. Originality/value The paper sheds light on the connection between traditional societies whose culture is grounded deeply in their religious faith and teachers' modes of emotion regulation. The findings may enhance the understanding of cultural and contextual influences on teachers' emotion regulation and shed light on the ways in which female teachers balance their personal feelings with emotional rules in the religious society in which they live and work.