The Myth of Being “Like a The Myth of Being “Like a Daughter”Daughter”

By, Grace Esther YoungBy, Grace Esther YoungPresented by, Savannah Presented by, Savannah

SchulzeSchulze

Main Points Main Points Small group of dedicated women is Small group of dedicated women is

organizing domestic servants in Lima, Peruorganizing domestic servants in Lima, Peru These women migrated at a young age These women migrated at a young age

from their rural, poor families to work in from their rural, poor families to work in moderate and upper income, urban moderate and upper income, urban families families

Their efforts to organize this sector are Their efforts to organize this sector are discouraged by:discouraged by:

1. structural aspects of the relationship of 1. structural aspects of the relationship of the domestic servant to her familythe domestic servant to her family

2. invasive ideology of the family sphere, 2. invasive ideology of the family sphere, which is endorsed by collective institutionswhich is endorsed by collective institutions

Objective of Article Objective of Article

The journey young women make from the The journey young women make from the rural to urban context is made possible rural to urban context is made possible through the medium of the family as a through the medium of the family as a socioeconomic and ideological formsocioeconomic and ideological form

She argues that the idiom of the family as She argues that the idiom of the family as inclusive, just, and as a “natural” age-inclusive, just, and as a “natural” age-based division of labor and power, serves based division of labor and power, serves to structure a relationship of inequality to structure a relationship of inequality and exploitation-powerfully legitimized by and exploitation-powerfully legitimized by church and state church and state

Efforts to organize the domestic servant Efforts to organize the domestic servant sector began in the early 1970s sector began in the early 1970s

During a period of sustained economic During a period of sustained economic growth and stability of the Peruvian economy growth and stability of the Peruvian economy

The macroeconomic changes occurring in The macroeconomic changes occurring in Peru serve to restructure the nature of the Peru serve to restructure the nature of the domestic domain domestic domain

As these changes occur, creative strategies As these changes occur, creative strategies for organizing the sector are demanded for organizing the sector are demanded

Domestic Servants in PeruDomestic Servants in Peru

Having moved from their families of origin, Having moved from their families of origin, domestic servants walk a fine line in their domestic servants walk a fine line in their new patron families new patron families

Find themselves both members and Find themselves both members and nonmembers in familial boundaries nonmembers in familial boundaries

This article demonstrates that the shape of This article demonstrates that the shape of familial boundaries and the changes familial boundaries and the changes occurring on the macroeconomic level in occurring on the macroeconomic level in Latin America maintain domestic servants Latin America maintain domestic servants in a marginal positionin a marginal position

From Family of Origin-Patron Family: From Family of Origin-Patron Family: Socialization and MarginalizationSocialization and Marginalization

Central to feminist analysis of the Central to feminist analysis of the subordination of women is the relationship of subordination of women is the relationship of the public, or politicoeconomic, sphere and the public, or politicoeconomic, sphere and the family the family

Dichotomy-relevance with regard to the Dichotomy-relevance with regard to the domestic servant is in framing a discussion of domestic servant is in framing a discussion of the interdependence of the two realms the interdependence of the two realms

Sacks and Rapp suggest that the dichotomy Sacks and Rapp suggest that the dichotomy of the public and the private spheres is of the public and the private spheres is specific to class-stratified, state organized specific to class-stratified, state organized societies societies

More on Using DichotomyMore on Using Dichotomy These formulations provide a framework for These formulations provide a framework for

analyzing the interplay of the constructs of analyzing the interplay of the constructs of gender with the dominant ideology of the familygender with the dominant ideology of the family

But lack an analysis of the relations of authority But lack an analysis of the relations of authority within the domestic sphere that would bring within the domestic sphere that would bring insight to the particular location of the domestic insight to the particular location of the domestic servant as a worker in the private domain servant as a worker in the private domain

This insight is necessary to understand the This insight is necessary to understand the transition the domestic servant makes between transition the domestic servant makes between families, and her situation in the patron family families, and her situation in the patron family

Looking at the Domestic ServantLooking at the Domestic Servant

Many rural, young women migrating to Many rural, young women migrating to Lima have traditionally found work in Lima have traditionally found work in middle income homes middle income homes

The growth in demand for domestic The growth in demand for domestic servants in Lima from 1940 to the mid-servants in Lima from 1940 to the mid-1970s was in part due to the growing 1970s was in part due to the growing number of middle income women entering number of middle income women entering the white-collar service jobs the white-collar service jobs

Lower-income women found employment Lower-income women found employment in the unskilled end of the service sector, in the unskilled end of the service sector, such as domestic service such as domestic service

Boundaries Boundaries The urban families that young women enter are The urban families that young women enter are

framed by boundaries that separate them from the framed by boundaries that separate them from the public spherepublic sphere

Boundaries of upper-class, urban families are Boundaries of upper-class, urban families are extremely secure in Peru, middle class urban extremely secure in Peru, middle class urban families tend to be flexible families tend to be flexible

Flexibility due to macroeconomic changesFlexibility due to macroeconomic changes The boundaries that separate the poor, rural family The boundaries that separate the poor, rural family

from the public sphere, are very penetrablefrom the public sphere, are very penetrable Many parents prefer that their girls stay at home, Many parents prefer that their girls stay at home,

they can not support themthey can not support them Their poverty encourages them to leave their own Their poverty encourages them to leave their own

familial confines in search of work familial confines in search of work

““like a daughter”like a daughter”

In the private sphere one’s work is of a In the private sphere one’s work is of a voluntary nature, given in love and devotionvoluntary nature, given in love and devotion

The public sphere is ruled by economic laws The public sphere is ruled by economic laws of wage labor, business cycles, and profit of wage labor, business cycles, and profit motives motives

Once inside the private sphere, with its Once inside the private sphere, with its stress on duty and respect, and on work as stress on duty and respect, and on work as a voluntary contribution, the young woman a voluntary contribution, the young woman becomes “like a daughter” in the patron becomes “like a daughter” in the patron familyfamily

Family’s hierarchical and Family’s hierarchical and patriarchal naturepatriarchal nature

Varies somewhat across class and cultural lines, Varies somewhat across class and cultural lines, but also facilitates the domestic servant’s but also facilitates the domestic servant’s transition transition

Authority vested in father: varies among families Authority vested in father: varies among families depending in part on the economic status and on depending in part on the economic status and on individual family member’s economic roles individual family member’s economic roles outside the familial sphereoutside the familial sphere

The status of women in the domestic sphere often The status of women in the domestic sphere often varies also varies also

In the Peruvian highland peasant communities In the Peruvian highland peasant communities boy babies are preferred to girls, she is expected boy babies are preferred to girls, she is expected to contribute economically to the family from a to contribute economically to the family from a young age, whereas middle-and upper-class young age, whereas middle-and upper-class children are removed from these demands children are removed from these demands

Relationship with patron Relationship with patron familyfamily

Variations in the Variations in the familial hierarchy are familial hierarchy are apparent in the type apparent in the type of relationship the of relationship the servant develops in servant develops in the patron family the patron family

In an Upper class In an Upper class family distance is family distance is maintained between maintained between the domestic servant the domestic servant and her patronesand her patrones

The middle-class The middle-class family tends to family tends to incorporate her incorporate her and, in particular to and, in particular to encourage her to encourage her to further her further her education education

Peruvian Context Peruvian Context

In the Peruvian context, girls and In the Peruvian context, girls and women are identified with the domestic women are identified with the domestic sphere and men are “in the street”sphere and men are “in the street”

The young woman passes from the The young woman passes from the paternalism of her own familial paternalism of her own familial environment to the paternalism of her environment to the paternalism of her new working environment new working environment

From the time she is very young, she From the time she is very young, she has been directed to fulfill the has been directed to fulfill the prescribed role of mother and wife in prescribed role of mother and wife in the domestic setting the domestic setting

The SenoraThe Senora The domestic servant’s entrance into The domestic servant’s entrance into

her new family is through the senora’s her new family is through the senora’s role to bring her into the paternalistic role to bring her into the paternalistic arms of the patron family arms of the patron family

Patron family becomes a civilizing Patron family becomes a civilizing agent to transform her rural customs agent to transform her rural customs into appropriate urban ones into appropriate urban ones

The senora is the primary person The senora is the primary person guiding her, and teaches the domestic guiding her, and teaches the domestic servant the nature of service in her servant the nature of service in her particular family particular family

Within the patron family, the servant Within the patron family, the servant often becomes like one of the children often becomes like one of the children

Within the Patron FamilyWithin the Patron Family

Ambiguous division between the “real” Ambiguous division between the “real” children and the domestic servant children and the domestic servant

A domestic servant might be treated very A domestic servant might be treated very affectionately, and takes on a status of affectionately, and takes on a status of step-daughter or god-child in the family step-daughter or god-child in the family where she worked where she worked

May stay with the family for many years, May stay with the family for many years, her basic needs are met and she may her basic needs are met and she may develop intimate relationships with family develop intimate relationships with family members members

Marginal Position Marginal Position The ideology of the family with its stress on The ideology of the family with its stress on

the commitment of close kin, as well as on the commitment of close kin, as well as on duty and devotion within the protected duty and devotion within the protected boundaries, conceals the marginal position the boundaries, conceals the marginal position the domestic servant occupies in the private domestic servant occupies in the private spheresphere

The domestic servant’s labor provides The domestic servant’s labor provides important material benefits for the members important material benefits for the members of the family, particularly the senoraof the family, particularly the senora

The domestic servant is an important status The domestic servant is an important status symbol for the senora, as she provides for her symbol for the senora, as she provides for her leisure leisure

““real” children real” children

Though she may be told she is a member, Though she may be told she is a member, the domestic servant will not be allowed to the domestic servant will not be allowed to follow the cyclical development of “real” follow the cyclical development of “real” childrenchildren

She entered as a child, she remain as a She entered as a child, she remain as a child, negate own needs as an adult womanchild, negate own needs as an adult woman

She can not expect to live in a place apart She can not expect to live in a place apart from the patron family, senoras prefer a live from the patron family, senoras prefer a live in maidin maid

If she has children she will not be retainedIf she has children she will not be retained Domestic servants are single, young women Domestic servants are single, young women

without responsibilities of children and who without responsibilities of children and who live in the families in which they work live in the families in which they work

Reinforced by the ChurchReinforced by the Church The dependent, The dependent,

paternalistic paternalistic relationship the relationship the domestic servant domestic servant develops in the patron develops in the patron family is reinforced by family is reinforced by the churchthe church

Catholic church Catholic church emphasizes duty and emphasizes duty and devotion to the familydevotion to the family

Schools that recruit and Schools that recruit and train young women to train young women to become domestic become domestic servants are servants are administered by the administered by the Catholic churchCatholic church

Domestic Servants Meet Domestic Servants Meet InformallyInformally

As a means of confronting their dependent As a means of confronting their dependent and insecure position, domestic servants and insecure position, domestic servants began to meet informally, in the early 1970s began to meet informally, in the early 1970s

They gathered in neighborhood parks during They gathered in neighborhood parks during their free hours on Sundays to talk about their their free hours on Sundays to talk about their situationsituation

Through sharing information, a slow process of Through sharing information, a slow process of consciousness-raising began as they consciousness-raising began as they discovered that, they all were subject to very discovered that, they all were subject to very similar conditions in their patron families similar conditions in their patron families

They began to identify with one another, as They began to identify with one another, as workers in homes, and as rural, Indian peopleworkers in homes, and as rural, Indian people

Economic CrisisEconomic CrisisDomestic Service V.S. VendingDomestic Service V.S. Vending

Economic crisis in Peru in Economic crisis in Peru in 19781978

Trend toward segmentation Trend toward segmentation of the female labor force of the female labor force apparent before the crisis apparent before the crisis has been exacerbated by has been exacerbated by the crisis the crisis

The period 1972-1981 The period 1972-1981 brought a continued decline brought a continued decline in the number of manual in the number of manual jobs available to women in jobs available to women in the formal labor market the formal labor market

With the collapse of the With the collapse of the textile industry-a female-textile industry-a female-dominated sector of dominated sector of manufacturing manufacturing

Although the number of Although the number of jobs for women in the jobs for women in the formal labor market formal labor market decreased, overall, decreased, overall, women’s economic women’s economic participation has increased participation has increased since the crisis since the crisis

Greatest increase has Greatest increase has come in the sector “not come in the sector “not specified” or women in the specified” or women in the informal sector informal sector

Women from the poorest Women from the poorest sectors of Lima who enter sectors of Lima who enter this sectorthis sector

Supported StudySupported Study The lack of opportunities The lack of opportunities

for poor women apart from for poor women apart from those in the unskilled end those in the unskilled end of the service sector or in of the service sector or in the informal sector is the informal sector is substantiated in a study of substantiated in a study of women in the Lima women in the Lima barriadabarriada (shanty town), (shanty town), Villa Salvador Villa Salvador

47% of them work outside 47% of them work outside the home, majority in the the home, majority in the vendor sector vendor sector

2/3 of them began working 2/3 of them began working outside the home during outside the home during the period of the crisisthe period of the crisis

66% had worked in 66% had worked in services, primarily services, primarily domestic service in their domestic service in their early years in Lima, upon early years in Lima, upon forming families they forming families they began working within the began working within the domestic sphere of their domestic sphere of their own familiesown families

The majority of those who The majority of those who reincorporated themselves reincorporated themselves into the labor market did into the labor market did so during the crisis and as so during the crisis and as vendors vendors

After the CrisisAfter the Crisis

Due to the lack of employment Due to the lack of employment opportunities in formal labor market in opportunities in formal labor market in Lima, the historic trend of people Lima, the historic trend of people migrating to Lima has changedmigrating to Lima has changed

For the first time since 1940, a smaller For the first time since 1940, a smaller percentage of Peru’s population migrated percentage of Peru’s population migrated

For those girls and young women who For those girls and young women who continue to migrate to Lima, domestic continue to migrate to Lima, domestic service remains one of the few available service remains one of the few available employment optionsemployment options

Vendors V.S. Domestic Vendors V.S. Domestic Servants Servants

The vendor sector is not an The vendor sector is not an attractive alternativeattractive alternative

They must have their own They must have their own accommodation, which is accommodation, which is rare among young womenrare among young women

Their own families, Their own families, whether in rural or urban whether in rural or urban areas, are unable to areas, are unable to support themsupport them

In order to enter the In order to enter the vendor sector, the servant vendor sector, the servant must have a certain must have a certain amount of capital amount of capital

Although the women who Although the women who work in both sectors are work in both sectors are migrants from the rural, migrants from the rural, highland areas of Peru, highland areas of Peru, their age, education level, their age, education level, and familial status are and familial status are different different

Venders in Lima tend to be Venders in Lima tend to be older, less educated older, less educated women with the women with the responsibilities of childrenresponsibilities of children

The mother can keep her The mother can keep her children near while she children near while she works and can choose her works and can choose her own hoursown hours

Peruvian VendorsPeruvian Vendors

Fewer Jobs AvailableFewer Jobs Availablefor Domestic Servants for Domestic Servants

While young women continue to look to While young women continue to look to domestic service for employment, fewer domestic service for employment, fewer jobs are availablejobs are available

Increasing numbers of families are unable Increasing numbers of families are unable to hire them to hire them

The recession has negatively affected the The recession has negatively affected the earning power of the middle income sectorearning power of the middle income sector

The decrease in demand for the services The decrease in demand for the services of domestics has precipitated a drop in of domestics has precipitated a drop in their wages their wages

Other Employment Other Employment OpportunitiesOpportunities

The decrease in demand and decrease The decrease in demand and decrease in wages is forcing some women to in wages is forcing some women to look to other employment alternativeslook to other employment alternatives

Few opportunities are available to Few opportunities are available to them apart from the vendor sectorthem apart from the vendor sector

The absorption of these women into The absorption of these women into the vendor sector, then, is a result of the vendor sector, then, is a result of their expulsion from the domestic their expulsion from the domestic service sector service sector

Impact on Culture Impact on Culture

The vendor sector has had great impact on The vendor sector has had great impact on the cultural conception of the domestic the cultural conception of the domestic servant sector servant sector

While there are fewer migrants coming to While there are fewer migrants coming to Lima, many of those migrants who have Lima, many of those migrants who have already made their homes in Lima are very already made their homes in Lima are very visible and vocal force in the life of the visible and vocal force in the life of the capitalcapital

People line the streets selling their wares People line the streets selling their wares on the black marketon the black market

Freedom in the StreetsFreedom in the Streets

Senoras tell of increasing numbers of Senoras tell of increasing numbers of maids leaving the servant sector to maids leaving the servant sector to become vendorsbecome vendors

They state that maids now seek their They state that maids now seek their freedom in the street freedom in the street

Labor officials and economists report Labor officials and economists report that the informal labor market is the that the informal labor market is the cause of a decrease in the supply of cause of a decrease in the supply of maids, despite a high demand for maids, despite a high demand for their servicestheir services

Problems with Maids TodayProblems with Maids Today Before “the women laughed at the girls bumpkin Before “the women laughed at the girls bumpkin

ways without fear that anybody would be ways without fear that anybody would be offended”, now conversation centers on a offended”, now conversation centers on a perceived change in maidsperceived change in maids

Senoras relate that it is no longer possible to find Senoras relate that it is no longer possible to find a “good” maida “good” maid

They claim maids no linger act like family, lacking They claim maids no linger act like family, lacking respect for those for whom they workrespect for those for whom they work

Maids will inherently steal from her patron familyMaids will inherently steal from her patron family They make excessive demands on them for They make excessive demands on them for

higher wages, for meat every day, for the use of higher wages, for meat every day, for the use of the color television, and so on the color television, and so on

ConclusionConclusion

The dependent, paternalistic The dependent, paternalistic relationship the domestic servant relationship the domestic servant develops in the patron family has develops in the patron family has characteristics of feudal economic characteristics of feudal economic forms as well as those of the modern forms as well as those of the modern capitalist world capitalist world

Collective institutions, both the Collective institutions, both the church and the government, enhance church and the government, enhance a dependent paternalisma dependent paternalism

Conclusions…Conclusions…

As the Peruvian socioeconomic reality As the Peruvian socioeconomic reality changes, the domestic servant is changes, the domestic servant is increasingly placed outside the patron increasingly placed outside the patron family and is becoming part of an ever-family and is becoming part of an ever-growing urban underclass growing urban underclass

Domestic servants’ organizing efforts Domestic servants’ organizing efforts continue to focus on a slow and steady continue to focus on a slow and steady process of education and consciousness process of education and consciousness raising as a means of finding a collective raising as a means of finding a collective solution to their situation, and providing solution to their situation, and providing support to one another support to one another