Gendered Boundaries among Latin American Migrants in Brussels

Based on ethnographic research conducted in Brussels, this article analyses gender-based constructions in relation to paid domestic work. We focus our attention on Latin American migrants who, unlike migrants from other regions, come from societies where paid domestic work has been the main occupati...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Inés Pérez, Christiane Stallaert
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: CEDLA 2015-04-01
Series:European Review of Latin American and Caribbean Studies
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.erlacs.org/articles/10.18352/erlacs.9981/
Description
Summary:Based on ethnographic research conducted in Brussels, this article analyses gender-based constructions in relation to paid domestic work. We focus our attention on Latin American migrants who, unlike migrants from other regions, come from societies where paid domestic work has been the main occupation of women throughout the twentieth century, where it was strongly shaped by a colonial legacy. We identify two main tropes within the discourse of our informants regarding this kind of work: the ‘(gendered) professional’ and the ‘(domestic) worker’. In our analysis, particular attention is given to the participation of men in paid domestic work within the context of migratory experiences.Resumen: Trabajadores domésticos y fronteras generizadas entre migrantes latinoamericanos en BruselasA partir de una investigación etnográfica realizada en Bruselas, este artículo analiza las construcciones de género relacionadas con el trabajo doméstico remunerado. Focalizamos la mirada en migrantes latinoamericanos, quienes, a diferencia de migrantes de otras regiones, provienen de sociedades donde el trabajo doméstico remunerado ha sido la principal ocupación para las mujeres durante el siglo XX, fuertemente marcada por una herencia colonial. Identificamos dos tropos centrales en el discurso de nuestros informantes sobre dicho trabajo, el ‘profesional (generizado)’ y el ‘trabajador (doméstico)’. Merece atención particular en nuestro análisis la participación de los varones en el trabajo doméstico remunerado en el marco de experiencias migratorias.
ISSN:1879-4750