Doing the dirty work? : the global politics of domestic labour
Author(s)
Bibliographic Information
Doing the dirty work? : the global politics of domestic labour
Zed Books, 2000
- : pbk
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Note
Bibliography: p.198-207
Includes index
Description and Table of Contents
- Volume
-
ISBN 9781856497602
Description
There has been a tendency amongst feminists to see domestic work as the great leveller, a common burden imposed on all women equally by patriarchy. This study of migrant domestic workers in the North uncovers some uncomfortable facts about the race and class aspects of domestic oppression. Based on original research, it looks at the racialization of paid domestic labour in the North - a phenomenon which challenges feminism and political theory at a fundamental level. The author maps the employment patterns of migrant women in domestic work in the North, and describes the work they perform, their living and working conditions and their employment relations. She looks at the feminization of the labour market - as middle class white women have greater presence in the public sphere, they are more likely to push responsibility for domestic work onto other women. In its depiction of the treatment of women from the South by women in the North, the book asks some difficult questions about the common bond of womanhood.
Table of Contents
- Introduction - political fictions and real oppressions
- Dr Jekyll and Mrs Hyde - defining domestic work
- a foot in the door - the social organization of paid domestic work in Europe
- invisible women I - migrant domestic workers in Southern Europe
- invisible women II - migrant domestic workers in Northern Europe
- selling the self - commodification, migration and domestic work
- the legacy of slavery - the American South and contemporary domestic workers
- "just like one of the family" - status and contract
- "your passport is your life" - domestic workers and the state.
- Volume
-
: pbk ISBN 9781856497619
Description
There has been a tendency amongst feminists to see domestic work as the great leveller, a common burden imposed on all women equally by patriarchy. This unique study of migrant domestic workers in the North uncovers some uncomfortable facts about the race and class aspects of domestic oppression. Based on original research, it looks at the racialisation of paid domestic labour in the North - a phenomenon which challenges feminsim and political theory at a fundamental level.
The book opens with an exploration of the public/private divide and an overview of the debates on women and power. The author goes on to provide a map of employment patterns of migrant women in domestic work in the North; she describes the work they perform, their living and working conditions and their employment relations. A chapter on the US explores the connections between slavery and contemporary domestic service while a section on commodification examines the extent to which migrant domestic workers are not selling their labour but their whole personhood. The book also looks at the role of the Other in managing dirt, death and pollution and the effects of the feminisation of the labour market - as middle class white women have greater presence in the public sphere, they are more likely to push responsibility for domestic work onto other women.
In its depiction of the treatment of women from the South by women in the North, the book asks some difficult questions about the common bond of womanhood. Packed with information on the numbers of migrant women working as domestics, the racism, immigration or employment legislation that constrains their lives, and testimonies from the workers themselves, this is the most comprehensive study of migrant domestic workers available.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction: Political fictions and real oppressions.
2. Dr. Jekyll and Mrs. Hyde: Defining domestic work.
3. A Foot in the Door: The social organisation of paid domestic work in Europe.
4. Invisible Women I: Migrant domestic workers in Southern Europe.
5. Invisible Women II: Migrant domestic workers in Northen Europe.
6. Changing the Rules: The case of the UK.
7. Selling the Self: Commodification, migration and domestic work.
8. The Legacy of Slavery: The American South and contemporary domestic workers.
9. "Just like one of the family": Status and contract.
10. "Your Passport is Your Life": Domestic workers and the state.
11. Conclusion.
by "Nielsen BookData"