layering power and privilege: class, race, and domestic labor in brazil's black rome
Post on 15-Jul-2015
31 Views
Preview:
TRANSCRIPT
{
Layering Power and Privilege: Class, Race, and Domestic Labor in Brazil's Black Rome
Rosana Resende, Ph.D.University of Florida
Domestic Labor in Brazil
20th C: Have a maid or be a maid
Maids as markers of middle class status
Education/career but domesticity
Availability of poor young women in need of work, shelter, and monitoring
Emotional labor
The nation of domestics
Lula’s programs:
Formalization
Education
Housing and Subsistence Assistance
Shrinking inequality and the traditional middle class
President, CEOs, and nannies
New visibility and protections for domestics
Transforming the nation
The times are a-changin’
12 million formal jobs during Lula
Public policies offer more avenues than domestic work
Perks of formalization versus perks of autonomy
PEC das domésticas
Field research in Salvador 01/14-07/14
Ethnography and survey research
Women from TMC working, studying, and/or volunteering outside the home
12 IDIs, 76 questionnaires
Slaves, agregados, and rapid urbanization
Patronage, poverty, and prata da casa
A “metropolis” by any other name
Salvador, Black Rome
Straddling Eras
“I’ve always been lucky to find someone who sleeps, because I get them from the interior”
“We have to adjust the schedule [to fit the 8 hours.] I ask her to wake up later, take a 2 hour lunch, so she can be on the clock when [my daughter] arrives [from school.]
Rose
The ladies of the house
“She doesn’t do anything. I have to hire a cleaning lady because she just doesn’t clean.”--Kim
“[The maid] does everything. She is the real woman of the house.”--Julia
“In the Northeast, we have ties to these people. It’s friendship. It’s not a professional relationship.”--Pati
“We let the last one go, she thought she was the owner of the house. She wouldn’t let us in the kitchen after she cleaned it.”--Celia
“After mom died, we had to share her.”—Tania
“They just asked if I could take her and she came”--Lu
The Ties that Bind
In many ways, old patterns remain
“Prata da casa”
Inherited “white women’s” burden
“I tell her to go out, to study”
“When the children come, you are hostage to that relationship”
Phasing Out?
Existing relations remain
Even when labor ties are gone
Likely to affect new relationships, but not old ones
Economic downturn may impact choices of working class
Salvador, Northeast—unlikely to lose patronage all together
Culture Shift
Embedded belief systems
Patronage: favors in exchange for being served
Domestics disallow patroas/guests from chores
Loyalty as primary value, underlying affection
Young TCM sees relationship as restrictive
PEC erases distinctions so
Professional relation: labor in exchange for remuneration
Strategies to make life easier
Question Já utilizei UtilizariaNãoutilizaria N/A
Comprar comida pronta no cotidiano 21.05% 50.00% 23.68% 5.26%
Comprar comida pronta de vez em quando 50.00% 42.11% 5.26% 2.63%
Comer fora rotineiramente 34.21% 36.84% 15.79% 13.16%
Comprar e/ou usar mais eletrodomésticos de grande porte (como máquina de lavar pratos, secadora, etc.) 47.37% 42.11% 10.53% 0.00%
Contratar serviço de transporte para dependentes 26.32% 44.74% 5.26% 23.68%
Usar creche ou pré-escolar em horário integral 10.53% 36.84% 10.53% 42.11%
Usar uma lavanderia comercial (como as da Laundromat) 18.42% 47.37% 23.68% 10.53%
Matricular filho/a em horário integral no colégio 27.03% 32.43% 10.81% 29.73%
Mudar local ou horário de trabalho ou estudo para estar mais disponível em casa 31.58% 36.84% 10.53% 21.05%
DIminuir carga horária ou deixar de trabalhar ou estudar 28.95% 31.58% 21.05% 18.42%
Redistribuir tarefas entre os outros residentes em casa 32.43% 54.05% 10.81% 2.70%
Reduzir a frequência com a qual se fazem certas tarefas 19.44% 66.67% 5.56% 8.33%
Abrir mão de certas tarefas domésticas como: 11.43% 54.29% 17.14% 17.14%
Comprar produtos domésticos que facilitem a limpeza e organização em casa 54.05% 40.54% 0.00% 5.41%
Diminuir horário de lazer/descanso 16.22% 40.54% 27.03% 16.22%
Culture shift
Most survey participants showed: increased use of convenience services (66%)
increased demands of household members (52%)
decreased investment in newer employees (across categories)
But… old habits die hard Patronage: exchange of favors for “being served”
Domestics valued for personal traits: affection, loyalty, hygiene
Personal relationship outlasts professional one
Grandfathered in versus new dynamics Shift to valuing skills, preparation in exchange for higher wages
Freedom from restrictive ties
Schooling: schedules, transportation, caregiving
Job sites: flex time, shared time, telecommuting
Caregiving infrastructure: daycares for children, elderly, people with disabilities
Goods and services: convenience services, semi-prepped goods, products that save time, easy-care goods, range of appliances
At home: reduced expectations for “an ideal home” and increased demands on shared contributions
The Future: A better Brazil for all women?
top related