Migrant masculinities in-between private and public spaces of reproductive labour: Asian porters in Rome

Gallo, E. and Scrinzi, F. (2019) Migrant masculinities in-between private and public spaces of reproductive labour: Asian porters in Rome. Gender, Place and Culture, 26(11), pp. 1632-1653. (doi: 10.1080/0966369X.2019.1586653)

Abstract

This article explores the construction of migrant masculinities in the context of reproductive labour. It focuses on Asian Christian men working as porters in upper middle-class residential buildings in Rome (Italy). This masculinised niche of reproductive labour combines differently gendered chores: feminised tasks (cleaning and caring) - mainly performed in the most private spaces of the home - and masculinised tasks (maintenance and security), carried out in the public or semi-public spaces of the buildings. The analysis addresses the dearth of studies on the sex-typing of jobs in the context of migrant men’s work experiences. It also contributes to ongoing debates on the geography of reproductive labour, by exploring how gendered practices of migrant reproductive labour construct private and public places. The construction of masculinities and place is shaped by the gendered racialisation of migrant men at the wider societal level, which materialises in the construction of ‘dangerous’ and ‘respectable’ urban areas. The article suggests that widespread concerns over religious difference and public security play a key role in defining migrant men’s access to the workplace and in shaping work relations.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Scrinzi, Dr Francesca
• Authors: Gallo, E., and Scrinzi, F.
• College/School: College of Social Sciences > School of Social and Political Sciences > Sociology Anthropology and Applied Social Sciences
• Journal Name: Gender, Place and Culture
• Publisher: Taylor and Francis
• ISSN: 0966-369X
• ISSN (Online): 1360-0524
• Published Online: 16 April 2019
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2019 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor and Francis Group
• First Published: First published in Gender, Place and Culture 26(11): 1632-1653
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced in accordance with the publisher copyright policy