The ‘Gift’ of Help: Domestic Helpers and the Maintenance of Hierarchy in the Household Division of Labour

Abstract

Based on in-depth interviews with 24 working couples who hire domestic helpers in Hong Kong, this article examines the hiring of help as an instance of unequal social exchange in which mothers are expected to give up more than fathers. Men view hiring help as a contractual service and as a 'gift' to their wives that allows them to 'buy out' of housework and childcare. Women, however, are likely to supplement their helper's contributions with their own labour since they view hired help as 'less-than-optimal' childcare. They also feel responsible for the supervision and emotional needs of their helpers by treating them as 'part of the family'. By examining the gendered meanings attached to paid domestic help, we show how men and women reproduce the traditional division of labour in the home when hiring domestic helpers, rather than relieving the tensions that working mothers face between paid employment and childcare.

‘My home is my castle’. The Norwegian home in times of paid migrant domestic labour

“…Similar to what Groves and Lui (2012) found in their study from Hong Kong, I detected a gendered pattern in the organisation of the au pair arrangement, wherein female hosts tended to be more involved with the au pair on a daily basis. Furthermore, I found that the gendered territory of the home was by no means altered by the au pair's presence.…”

“…A related theme in the debate is centred on the relationship between employers and employees, which is often characterised as undefined and ambiguous (Triandafyllidou and Marchetti 2015). Groves and Lui (2012), who interviewed couples who had hired domestic helpers in Hong Kong, found that the employer-employee relationship was characterised by ongoing negotiation between social distance and physical closeness. Another finding was that female employers paid more than men, as they were more frequently involved with the domestic labourer on a daily basis (Groves and Lui 2012).…”

“…Groves and Lui (2012), who interviewed couples who had hired domestic helpers in Hong Kong, found that the employer-employee relationship was characterised by ongoing negotiation between social distance and physical closeness. Another finding was that female employers paid more than men, as they were more frequently involved with the domestic labourer on a daily basis (Groves and Lui 2012). From the opposite vantage point, Rosie Cox, who has focused her research on au pairs in the United Kingdom, has asked whether 'sister' or 'servant' is the most apt designation for an au pair.…”

Socioeconomic Status and Physical Activity among Mothers of Young Children in an Asian City: The Mediating Role of Household Activities and Domestic Help

“…Spouse's involvement in active housework was inversely associated with having a non-resident childminder, but interestingly, was not associated with having a resident helper, even though previous research suggests an inverse association between these variables. For example, a qualitative study of working couples in Hong Kong suggested that husbands considered hiring domestic helpers as a "gift" to their wives, but this often resulted in husbands feeling absolved of their domestic responsibilities [32]. In our study, the outsourcing of domestic help and/or childminding appeared to reduce, but not preclude participation in active housework by mothers and spouses.…”

Learning and Socializing Preferences in Hong Kong Chinese Children

“…One in three Hong Kong households with young children employs a domestic worker, who usually lives full‐time in the same residence (Cortés & Pan, ; Groves & Lui, ). These workers can substantially impact children's development.…”