“If we don't do it, who will?” Strategies of social reproduction at the margins

This special issue (SI) contributes to a growing body of work in management and organization studies focusing on the complex relationship between social reproduction and inequalities in paid work and organizations. In this introduction to the SI, we first identify three key areas of inquiry relevant to the study of social reproduction: challenging the boundaries of productive and reproductive labor; inequalities and exploitation; and alternative organizing. We then present the seven papers of the SI that draw on research from Australia, South America, Spain, Turkey, the UK, and the US to contribute to the aforementioned areas, foregrounding distinctive social reproduction dynamics manifesting in the household and alternative organizations (cooperatives), and facilitated by state policies. Based on these contributions, we propose an agenda for future research on social reproduction that aims to address the persistence and potential transformation of the existing gender, class, and race orders. We call for future studies exploring changing parenthood roles and how these affect the organization of re/production tasks; for research revealing and investigating underlying inequalities (re)produced by public policy; for analyses of existing and potential forms of feminist alternative organizing, and how these are sometimes hindered by heteropatriarchal structures; and for the study of social reproduction dynamics across cultural, socioeconomic, and political contexts.

Section: Social Reproduction In Management and Organizationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Social reproduction: Households, public policies, and alternative organizing

Ruiz‐Castro,

Grau‐Grau,

Lupu

et al. 2024

“…Some studies show for instance that migrant domestic workers played an important role in maintaining solidarity within their communities. Those actions range from small‐scale informal activities such as checking on a neighbor or taking someone to a medical appointment, to more organized collective action in defense of their rights (Moreno‐Vasquez et al., 2022; Nassif, 2022; Rao et al., 2021). In the US, the National Alliance of Domestic Workers launched online campaigns and advocacy activities to defend their members' working conditions (Rosińska & Pellerito, 2022), while in Latin America, domestic workers' organizations distributed humanitarian relief to their members (IDWF, 2021).…”

Section: Gender Crises and Carementioning

confidence: 99%

Caring is resisting: Lessons from domestic workers' mobilizations during COVID‐19 in Latin America

Acciari

2023

Domestic workers were one of the most negatively affected groups by COVID‐19 in Latin America, yet they have also been resisting and mobilizing in impressive and innovative ways. This article shows that domestic workers' organizations were able to adapt to an extremely adverse context in order to protect their members and defend their rights. Furthermore, their mobilizations provide an alternative vision of society grounded on love and solidarity and offer concrete ways forward to “build back better.” Indeed, their core campaign, “Care for those who care for you”, demands the recognition of care work as real work and fair treatment for those who provide this care. Based on an analysis of this campaign, I have identified 3 repertoires of care‐resistance: the promotion of self‐care and well‐being, concrete practices of solidarity through the distribution of humanitarian aid, and legal mobilizations for the recognition of care as a fundamental right. I argue that these forms of action contribute to feminist ethics and theories of care and that putting forward the right to care and be cared for in times of crisis is an act of resistance.

Responses of workers' organizations to the COVID‐19 crisis: Intersectional approaches of domestic workers in Mexico

Teixeira

2024

The COVID‐19 pandemic profoundly impacted the paid domestic work sector in the global South, exacerbating long‐standing inequalities experienced by domestic workers. This article explores how domestic workers' organizations (DWOs) mobilized to support this marginalized workforce during the crisis. Adopting an intersectional perspective, the study shows that DWOs in Mexico strategically used their intersecting identities as working‐class women from ethnic minorities to garner support from civil society organizations aligned with their cause. These efforts proved essential in addressing the immediate needs of domestic workers and challenging inequalities in the face of inadequate support from national and local authorities. DWOs played a crucial role in raising awareness, providing services, and shaping public policy to promote decent work in the sector. The article contributes to the body of research on domestic work by illuminating DWOs' intersectional approaches to confronting oppression and marginalization during the crisis. This has wider implications for understanding other sectors characterized by inequality, particularly where marginalized women form a significant part of the workforce.