Professionals of Tradition. Migrant Women in the Domestic Work SectorProfessioniste della tradizione. Le donne migranti nel mercato del lavoro domestico

Scrinzi, F. (2004) Professionals of Tradition. Migrant Women in the Domestic Work SectorProfessioniste della tradizione. Le donne migranti nel mercato del lavoro domestico. Polis, 18(1), pp. 107-136.

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Abstract

In recent years there has been a substantial increase in demand for private domestic services in Italy. This demand is mainly fulfilled by migrant -- often undocumented -- women working in the informal sector. This article aims to explore the interplay of gender & 'race' in the discursive construction of work relations in the domestic service sector. This analysis is based on ethnographic fieldwork (interviews & participant observation) carried out in several recruitment & training centers for migrant domestic workers in the town of Genoa. Ideas of 'tradition, cultural authenticity' & 'cultural difference,' as well as 'femininity,' are embedded & negotiated in daily recruitment & training practices. On the one hand, domestic work is constructed by both trainers & recruiters in relation to the idea of migrant women's 'cultural predisposition' to take on caring roles. At the same time, national identities are constructed in terms of family ties or domestic service relations. On the other hand, in their interactions with Italian recruiters, trainers & employers, migrant women challenge these racializing representations of domestic work relations. In some cases, they manipulate & display certain elements of these representations in order to obtain a job.

Item Type:Articles
Keywords:Discourse, Domestics, Females, Immigrants, Italy, Migrant Workers, Race, Sex, Working Women, Identity, Informal Sector, Undocumented Immigrants
Status:Published
Refereed:Yes
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:Scrinzi, Dr Francesca
Authors: Scrinzi, F.
College/School:College of Social Sciences > School of Social and Political Sciences > Sociology Anthropology and Applied Social Sciences
Journal Name:Polis
ISSN:1120-9488

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