Personal relationships in paid domestic work can be problematic for several reasons. First of all, there is a stranger’s entry into the intimate life of a family. Secondly, private (domestic) and public (work) spheres overlap creating an ambivalent situation, which is volatile at times (Anderson 2000; Marchetti 2006; Mariti 2003; Miranda 2002; Momsen 1999; Yeoh and Huang 1999; Aubert 1956). Thirdly, the contemporary Polish context lacks any clear social definitions of the role of a domestic worker. This is due, among other things, to the employment gap under the People’s Republic of Poland (post-WWII to 1989) and during the early democratic transformation years (the 1990s), which were the years when other parts of Europe and the US also experienced a decrease in the popularity of paid domestic work (Coser 1973; Gregson and Lowe 1993). That is why for most employers today, relations with domestic workers are a sort of a social puzzle to be solved in everyday interactions. Some potential employers refrain from or stop employing a domestic worker altogether since solving this social puzzle turns out to be too problematic for them (Kordasiewicz 2011).

Class guilt? Employers and their relationships with domestic workers in Poland

Anna Rosinska
Writing – Original Draft Preparation
2015-01-01

Abstract

Personal relationships in paid domestic work can be problematic for several reasons. First of all, there is a stranger’s entry into the intimate life of a family. Secondly, private (domestic) and public (work) spheres overlap creating an ambivalent situation, which is volatile at times (Anderson 2000; Marchetti 2006; Mariti 2003; Miranda 2002; Momsen 1999; Yeoh and Huang 1999; Aubert 1956). Thirdly, the contemporary Polish context lacks any clear social definitions of the role of a domestic worker. This is due, among other things, to the employment gap under the People’s Republic of Poland (post-WWII to 1989) and during the early democratic transformation years (the 1990s), which were the years when other parts of Europe and the US also experienced a decrease in the popularity of paid domestic work (Coser 1973; Gregson and Lowe 1993). That is why for most employers today, relations with domestic workers are a sort of a social puzzle to be solved in everyday interactions. Some potential employers refrain from or stop employing a domestic worker altogether since solving this social puzzle turns out to be too problematic for them (Kordasiewicz 2011).
2015
Employers, Agencies and Immigration. Paying for Care
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/10278/3758996
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