There are currently millions of domestic workers as vulnerable and underclass workers in China. The demand for domestic workers will continue to increase in another millions of urban families in time of ageing and labour shortage. Domestic workers are predominantly working poor female, low-skilled migrant and informal: these three characteristics have determined their poor conditions in the cities. When such a large body of domestic workers live in the improvised, disadvantaged and discriminated conditions in urban China, it is crucial to undertake a critical analysis of this issue to explore why this has happened and why it has been so hard to change their conditions. This thesis seeks to explain: why is there a persistent lack of social and legal protection for these vulnerable workers in urban China? To do so, I first explore two lines of theoretical frameworks to construct the issues of domestic workers in 1) the gender implications of domestic work and 2) the relationship between migration and labour market mechanism. Second, I analyse the larger socioeconomic structures that shape the working and living conditions of domestic workers. The process of reconstructing the dual labour system integrated with the institutionalized urban registration system in China has exacerbated the divergence between countryside and cities, between men and women, and between formal and informal labour. Third, I use the case studies to present the consequences of the informality of domestic work service in China, including the unrecognition of labour law, the unequal power relationship between service employers and domestic workers, and the media’s biased position in promoting the in-home care model. I find that the state has designed multiple institutions to secure a pool of cheap labour from the rural regions to facilitate the urbanisation at a low price. In particular, the central government has prioritised the urban development by encouraging more women to participate in the labour force and justified its absence in the provision of public elderly care by outsourcing the care services to the private market of domestic workers.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD (Women and Gender Studies) / Events in the last few years on the global stage have heralded a new era for domestic workers, which may afford them the voice as subaltern that has been silent until now. Despite being constructed as silent and as subjects without agency, unionised domestic workers organised themselves globally, becoming more visible and making their voices heard. This culminated in the promulgation of the International Labour Organisation's (ILO) Convention No.189 on Decent Work for Domestic Workers (or C189) in September 2013, and the establishment of the International Domestic Workers' Federation (IDWF) in October 2013. This broadening of the scope of domestic workers' activism has not yet received sufficient attention in academic research. These two historic events on their own have the potential to change the dominant discourse around domestic workers, by mobilising workers with agency to challenge the meaning of the political ideologies informing their identity positions of exploitation and subjugation.

Thesis (M.Ed. (Adult Education)) -- University of Limpopo, 2011 / Refer to document

This thesis examines the complex power structures that underscore the migration and employment of Indonesian women as foreign domestic workers (FDWs) in Singapore. The main objective is to highlight the power of individual Indonesian FDWs and the collective power of these women in negotiating these structures of power in the context of a migration study as well as a `resistance' study. I argue that Indonesian FDWs are active agents who exercise individual agency and collective `resistance' in the migration system. As labour migrants they exert power in shaping the nature of the migrant institution. One of the means in which they do so is by perpetuating the informal networks of migration. Individual Indonesian FDWs are also capable of exerting power in circumventing elements of exploitation and domination they encounter during their migration process and employment in Singapore. Crucial to this capability is the ability to have access to a network of agents within the migrant institution. Some Indonesian FDWs are also active in exerting power as a group to present a collective resistance against negative stereotyping of their identities as the immigrant other in Singapore. They do so via a formal religious based social group. This group encourages other Indonesian FDWs to portray the image of the disciplined worker couched within the moralising discourse of Islam by participating in productive activities on rest days. The aim of this is so that Indonesian FDWs can be treated with respect and dignity in Singapore. In general, my data show that Indonesian FDWs as active agents of the migration system do not attempt to challenge the overall structures that underscore their subordination and domination as overseas contract workers (OCWs) in Singapore. / The power exerted by individual Indonesian FDWs is focused at ensuring their continued employment as FDWs under more desirable employment conditions. Their individual agency aimed at improving their work conditions is at a personal level and is based on personal goals that are thus too fragmented to challenge the institutionalised structures of employment. Moreover, my case studies reveal that some Indonesian FDWs endure more restrictive work conditions in order to achieve desirable aspects of working in Singapore. Their collective `resistance' against condescending treatment by the host society project an image of the disciplined FDWs desired by employers, maid agents and Singaporeans. Their subjective ambivalence and the ambivalence in their individual and collective acts of `resistance' in challenging aspects of subordination and domination show the complexity of the power relationships in which they are caught. I draw upon two bodies of theory to provide a framework for my analysis and argument. First, I draw upon the `migrant institution' framework espoused by Goss and Lindquist (1995) that is based on Giddens' structuration theory to illustrate the power exerted by individual Indonesian FDWs within the field of migration studies. I also draw upon Foucault's notion of power as a framework to examine collective ,resistance' displayed by Indonesian FDWs in Singapore. The data presented in the thesis are drawn from two sources, ethnographic fieldwork conducted in Singapore as well as relevant newspaper and other media accounts.

The migration of economically and socially marginalized rural Ethiopian women and girls is becoming an accelerating phenomenon. Although the displacement is disguised by voluntary labour migration, their vulnerable position makes them easy targets creating a fertile ground for traffickers. The purpose of this study is identifying the causes of the plights Ethiopian domestic workers are facing in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. The study is conducted in light of phenomenological framework aiming to understand the problem through the lived experiences of returnee victims. In-depth interviews with key informants are conducted in order to acquire a broader insight of the root causes and consequences of the problem. Findings of this research indicate that intersections of multiple identities; such as gender, class, race as well as religion, shape the standpoints of Ethiopian women as vulnerable. The themes of the result from interviews and observations are discussed in line with the relevant theoretical explanation provided in the study. In addition, the obstacles that challenge the effort of combating women trafficking is also discussed in accordance with the research question. This contributes to a further understanding of the challenges Ethiopian women face as domestic workers abroad.

On April 16, 2012, the much awaited primetime telenovela appropriately titled Cheias de Charme premiered on Rede Globo, the largest Brazilian television network, and viewers across the nation were introduced to as três Marias, the three charming protagonists who, in a rare occurrence on the network, are domestic workers. It is no surprise that domestic workers should be of interest to Brazilian television viewers; paid domestic work is an enormous part of daily life in Brazil and domestic workers make up nearly eight percent of the work force. This project builds on previous explorations of the unique relationships between domestic employers and employees in Brazil, as well as examinations of the traditional ways in which domestic workers have been imagined to draw a clearer image of the changing role of paid domestic work in Brazilian society. Part ethnographic study and part media analysis, this study is mainly preoccupied with exploring various representations of domestic workers. These representations speak to the tensions and contradictions surrounding the social dynamics of the intimate relationships between domestic workers and their employers, as well as the role of domestic work in Brazilian society, haunted by the legacy of nearly four-hundred years of slavery. / text

In 1955 and 1966 Canada opened its doors to a limited number of Caribbean domestic workers and seasonal agricultural workers. Canadian government officials remarked that the programmes were part of Ottawa’s aid package to the Caribbean and that they would enhance trading relationships between Canada and the Caribbean, a view which had been echoed by other writers on the topic. This thesis argues that both programmes were instituted after Canada had exhausted all attempts to recruit adequate European labourers. The thesis also argues that both programmes were deliberately designed and executed to ensure that Canada got maximum benefits at low cost. Canada also attached unprecedented conditions to both schemes in an effort to significantly reduce the number of workers recruited. The thesis provides a thorough examination of the proposals by Caribbean governments, together with interest groups from Canada, to persuade Canada to establish these migrant programmes and the excuses and refusals by Canada to those proposals. The thesis documents the increasing recruitment of Mexican agricultural workers at the expense of Caribbean workers which further dispels the view that the migrant programmes were part of an aid package to the Caribbean. The thesis notes that unlike the domestic programme the agricultural programme was not a route towards landed immigrant status.

This study explores the different effects of gendered migration focusing on migration, return migration and reintegration challenges and opportunities facing female Ethiopian migrant returnees from Middle East countries. It looks into the different stages of migration to understand some of the cultural, economic and social transformations women domestic workers experience as immigrants and laborers in the Gulf region and upon their return to Ethiopia. In doing so, the study examines the different ways women try to renegotiate and reintegrate with their families and communities. In-depth interviews with eighteen women returnees reveal the uneven distribution of experiences and outcomes of gendered migration. However, there exists some consistency in the disruptive and disempowering effect of these experiences in the destination countries that usually extend after return. Post return experiences reveal that the renegotiations of women returnees on issues of reception, economic betterment, relationship rebuilding and exercising agency with families and communities are often stressful, isolating and disempowering.

Thesis advisor: Erika L. Sabbath / The care industry is encountering a critical demand for care workers in the formal and informal sectors. As a result, the healthcare industry is strained from the increasing shortage of workers and capacity in facilities. Moreover, there is a desire among the aged to age in place, thus, care provided in the home and community is also on the rise. The requisite for care workers in the U.S. suggests that this population is vulnerable to job and personal demands in the workplace that are associated with negative health outcomes such as poor sleep and burnout. The purpose of this three-paper dissertation is to evaluate the moderating effects of job and personal resources on the health and well-being of nurses and patient care associates (PCAs) in the formal sector and Filipina care workers in the informal sector. The first two papers used the Boston Hospital Health Workers Study, a longitudinal study that was established in 2006 to examine the working organization and condition, behaviors, and health outcomes among healthcare workers from two large hospitals in the same health system in Boston. The first paper (N=845) used a mixed methods approach and used logistic regression analysis to examine the association of discrimination and short sleep and interaction terms to assess the buffering effect of people-oriented culture between discrimination and short sleep. The qualitative section used a combination of grounded theory and thematic analysis of interviews of unit nurse directors (N=16) to gain an in-depth understanding of how discrimination transpires in the workplace and the resources available to address discrimination and poor sleep among care workers. The second paper (N=874) evaluated the association of job and personal demands and burnout using logistic regression. Interaction terms were implemented to assess the buffering effect of workplace flexibility between job and personal demands and burnout. The third paper used semi-structured interviews of Filipina care workers in New England (N=14). A combination of grounded theory and thematic analysis were used to analyze the qualitative data. In Paper 1, findings showed that people-oriented culture did not buffer the relationship of discrimination and short sleep. However, people-oriented culture slightly attenuated the association of discrimination and odds of short sleep. Qualitative findings illuminated that discrimination transpired among co-workers in relation to their job titles and while numerous job resources are available, these resources do not necessarily address discrimination and promotion of inclusivity. In the second paper, workplace flexibility moderated the relationship between married healthcare workers without children and odds of burnout. Moreover, there are significant associations between active (high demand, high control) and high strained (high demand, low control) workers with perceived low workplace flexibility and odds of burnout. In the third paper, qualitative findings highlighted that Filipina care workers are tasked with multiple job responsibilities that are associated with abuse and injuries and personal demands of providing financial care to their family and saving face from divulging difficult experiences. While job resources like job contracts are helpful in lowering the likelihood of abuse, lack of government oversight facilitated violence in the workplace. Filipina care workers found support through community organizations and advocating for themselves and other fellow care workers. Findings from this study suggest that organizational policies and practices play a role in attenuating poor health outcomes among care workers but not all experience these policies and practices equally. Barriers such as not acknowledging discrimination directly and providing specific resources to discrimination, differing control in the workplace because of job title and racial and gender identities, and reporting abuse and violence in the workplace outweighing the cost of the demand to provide the needs for family members prevent care workers from being able to fully benefit from these policies and practices. Nevertheless, while structural changes take time, unit managers in formal settings and employers in informal settings can address these inequities in their specific settings to improve the health and well-being of care workers. This dissertation will assist the field of social work to advocate for federal, state-level, local, and organizational policies to be implemented in the workplace that will adjust to the needs of healthcare and domestic workers. Furthermore, the study can also inform future interventions to integrate effective organizational policies that reduce poor sleep quality and burnout among care workers. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2020. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Social Work. / Discipline: Social Work.

This Master’s thesis explores the intersection of powers that create (in)secure female migration to Lebanon. It contributes to a growing literature corpus about the lives of women, originating from South/ South-East Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, who migrate to Lebanon to work in the domestic work sector. Ongoing exploitations of migrant domestic workers (MDWs) under Lebanon’s migration regime, the kafala system, have been documented in detail. Yet, the question about which overlapping powers actually shape the migratory experience of MDWs calls for closer inspection – especially in light of previous unidirectional analyses that seem to obscure the intersectional experiences of migrant women. By uncovering intersecting systems of domination and subordination, this analysis aims to deconstruct oppressive powers and to answer the research question about which powers create (in)secure female migration to Lebanon. This objective is approached through ethnographic-qualitative methods of semi-structured interviewing and participant observation during a seven-week field research in Lebanon. Data contributed by research participants, i.e. MDWs themselves and individuals that have experience in supporting them, are analyzed through an intersectional lens that acknowledges the multifacetedness of MDWs as social beings comprised of overlapping and intersecting dynamic facets. This analysis argues for multiple levels and layers that create an enmeshed web of interacting categories, processes and systems that render female migration insecure. Detected underlying powers range from global forces over specific migration regulations to societal structures that are based on sexism, racism, cultural othering and class differences - amongst others. These forces are impossible to deconstruct in isolation because they function through each other. Their multilevel intersections lead to power imbalances between worker and employer, isolation and invisibility of the former on several levels as well as the commodification, dehumanization and mobility limitations of MDWs. Yet, female labor migrants counter these intersecting powers through creative and dynamic acts of resistance and self-empowerment and, thus, prove that the dismantling of overlapping oppressions calls for intersecting multilevel deconstructions.