The Cosmopolitan Dilemma: Fantasy, Work and the Experiences of Mexican Au Pairs in the USA

“This is the Life I Want”: <i>Au pairs’ perceptions of life in the global city</i>

“…Mirza Aguilar Pérez (2015) found a similar pattern amongst Mexican au pairs in the United States, who were drawn to the promise of the cosmopolis but often found themselves immersed in the drudgery of domestic labour. To keep up impressions of the great time they were having, her interviewees often had two identities on social media.…”

“…Conradson and Latham (2007) found that London was seen as a place to encounter cultural diversity, to experiment, to work on the self and, perhaps, to become cosmopolitan (cf. Aguilar Pérez, 2015). The time spent in London was not meant to leave the person the same but instead offered possibilities of 'resubjectification' (Conradson and Latham, 2007: 234) through encounters with a new place and people.…”

Stuck in a Vicious Cycle? Career Aspirations and Entrapment Among Turkish Au Pairs in the United States

“…Studies of au pairs from Eastern and Southern Europe, as well as Asia and Latin America, suggest that women effect considerable agency in the way they conceptualize the au pair experience and plan their activities to create perceived benefits in social, economic, and mobility capital (Hess 2012;Lutz 2004;Bikova. M 2008;Perez 2014). In many ways, au pair positions are being redefined as a first step in the aspirational migration of young women whose prospects are capped in their home environments.…”

“…In such instances, the temporary, deskilled au pair positions gain instrumental value for achieving such objectives (Carling 2014;Stenum 2011). It is not difficult to imagine circumstances under which aspirations of mobility and career change and the push forces of gender discrimination, lack of economic and social freedom or the need for self-realization or fulfillment of cosmopolitan worldviews (Perez 2014;Bikova 2014) could make an affordable year abroad taking care of children a meaningful alternative for young professionals.…”

“…While the challenges of the au pair year are well documented (Williams and Baláz 2004; Sollund au pairs with college degrees and work experience in Turkey and who are motivated to undertake the au pair year to fulfill their career aspirations. Turkish au pairs constitute a smaller portion of the overall au pair market in the USA, but their journey is indicative of the efforts of skilled women to bypass financial bottlenecks, achieve self-realization and independence, and overcome domestic employment constraints by undertaking child care positions abroad (Bikova 2014;Perez 2014).…”