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Filipina Domestic Workers in São Paulo - An Explorative Case Study on the Social Reproduction of Class, Gender and Race

Reustle, Hannah Clara LU (2017) UTVK03 20161
Sociology
Abstract
The study is a first attempt to academically investigate the case of Filipina domestic workers in São Paulo. In brief, it aims to outline these migrants’ life and working conditions, their insertion and function within class relations and in regard to a gendered and racialized work regime. The overarching theoretical framework is social reproduction feminism that originated from the 1960’s socialist domestic labor debate and that has since then been renewed by postcolonial, Black feminists and queer studies. The research builds on qualitative methodology. Besides the literature review, ethnographic fieldwork was conducted with 25 migrants in a two week timespan that included individual and group interviews as well as participant... (More)
The study is a first attempt to academically investigate the case of Filipina domestic workers in São Paulo. In brief, it aims to outline these migrants’ life and working conditions, their insertion and function within class relations and in regard to a gendered and racialized work regime. The overarching theoretical framework is social reproduction feminism that originated from the 1960’s socialist domestic labor debate and that has since then been renewed by postcolonial, Black feminists and queer studies. The research builds on qualitative methodology. Besides the literature review, ethnographic fieldwork was conducted with 25 migrants in a two week timespan that included individual and group interviews as well as participant observations. In contrast to the initial literature review, the study finds that the majority of these women migrate and work in so called irregular situations. Even though there are considerable differences regarding their individual circumstances, nearly none of their work conditions comply with Brazilian labor regulations. The study furthermore shows that the migrants class position is central in understanding both the migration and work trajectory. An important function of the migrant’s labor is the reproduction of the upper class that does however not necessarily form part of the citizenship population. In regard to gender and race, the study suggests that these women find themselves inserted in a transnational care chain and that gendered and racialized constructions of the worker are central in understanding both their exploitation and conception as excellent workers. (Less)
Popular Abstract (Portuguese)
Este estudo é uma tentativa de investigar academicamente o caso de empregadas domésticas filipinas em São Paulo. Tem por objetivo apresentar a vida e condições de trabalho desses imigrantes, sua inserção e função dentro das relações de classe e sua relação a um regime laboral racializado e discriminado. O quadro teórico abrangente é o feminismo da reprodução social que surgiu do debate socialista sobre trabalho doméstico no final dos anos 60 e tem sido renovado pelo pós-colonialismo, feminismo negro e estudos queer. A pesquisa parte do entendimento materialista ontológico e crítico realista da autora e de uma abordagem epistemológica fundamentada em conhecimentos específicos, sobretudo baseada em um modelo de pesquisa qualitativa. Em... (More)
Este estudo é uma tentativa de investigar academicamente o caso de empregadas domésticas filipinas em São Paulo. Tem por objetivo apresentar a vida e condições de trabalho desses imigrantes, sua inserção e função dentro das relações de classe e sua relação a um regime laboral racializado e discriminado. O quadro teórico abrangente é o feminismo da reprodução social que surgiu do debate socialista sobre trabalho doméstico no final dos anos 60 e tem sido renovado pelo pós-colonialismo, feminismo negro e estudos queer. A pesquisa parte do entendimento materialista ontológico e crítico realista da autora e de uma abordagem epistemológica fundamentada em conhecimentos específicos, sobretudo baseada em um modelo de pesquisa qualitativa. Em adição, um trabalho de campo etnográfico foi conduzido com 25 imigrantes em um período de duas semanas que incluiu entrevistas individuais e em grupo, assim como observação participante. Contrastando a revisão literária inicial o estudo aponta que a maioria desses imigrantes tem suas vidas e trabalhos em situações irregulares e mesmo que haja diferenças consideráveis no tocante as mesmas, quase nenhuma das suas condições estão em conformidade com as Leis do Trabalho Brasileira. As participantes, sendo todas mulheres e muitas vezes mães, encontram-se inseridas numa cadeia de cuidados transnacionais. Classe mostrou-se um ponto central para se entender a integração do trabalho das mulheres e da função reprodutiva além do lar. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Reustle, Hannah Clara LU
supervisor
organization
course
UTVK03 20161
year
type
M2 - Bachelor Degree
subject
keywords
social reproduction feminism, field study, Brazil, São Paulo, Filipina migrant domestic workers
language
English
id
8905331
date added to LUP
2017-06-28 13:52:50
date last changed
2017-06-28 13:52:50
@misc{8905331,
  abstract     = {{The study is a first attempt to academically investigate the case of Filipina domestic workers in São Paulo. In brief, it aims to outline these migrants’ life and working conditions, their insertion and function within class relations and in regard to a gendered and racialized work regime. The overarching theoretical framework is social reproduction feminism that originated from the 1960’s socialist domestic labor debate and that has since then been renewed by postcolonial, Black feminists and queer studies. The research builds on qualitative methodology. Besides the literature review, ethnographic fieldwork was conducted with 25 migrants in a two week timespan that included individual and group interviews as well as participant observations. In contrast to the initial literature review, the study finds that the majority of these women migrate and work in so called irregular situations. Even though there are considerable differences regarding their individual circumstances, nearly none of their work conditions comply with Brazilian labor regulations. The study furthermore shows that the migrants class position is central in understanding both the migration and work trajectory. An important function of the migrant’s labor is the reproduction of the upper class that does however not necessarily form part of the citizenship population. In regard to gender and race, the study suggests that these women find themselves inserted in a transnational care chain and that gendered and racialized constructions of the worker are central in understanding both their exploitation and conception as excellent workers.}},
  author       = {{Reustle, Hannah Clara}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Filipina Domestic Workers in São Paulo - An Explorative Case Study on the Social Reproduction of Class, Gender and Race}},
  year         = {{2017}},
}