Vanessa de la Blétière Malheiro
Research Group: Governance, Economy and Citizenry
Supervisor(s): Pierre Guibentif
Summary
Despite its invisibility, paid domestic work has recently been the subject of debate. In 2008 the ILO Governing Body decided to place an item on the agenda of the 99th Session (2010) of the Conference with a view to setting standards on decent work for domestic workers; this decision contributed to the visibility of millions of domestic workers all over the world. With the aim of also contributing to the visibility of domestic work, this research puts forward an analysis of its recognition. Based on the theoretical proposals of Axel Honneth, we argue for a new approach to the concept of recognition, which highlights the role of emotions in the context of labour interactions. Focusing on the study of an activity that oddly merges two spheres traditionally opposed – labour and privacy –, we will contradict the typical differentiation between emotions and work. Based on a qualitative analysis we will attempt a sociological reconstruction of the recognition of domestic work’s reality in Portugal.
Period: 2008 - 2015
Resources: http://hdl.handle.net/10071/9676