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Citizenship and Maternalism in Migrant Domestic Labour: Filipina Workers and Their Employers in Amsterdam and Rome

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Paid Migrant Domestic Labour in a Changing Europe

Part of the book series: Citizenship, Gender and Diversity ((FEMCIT))

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Abstract

This chapter contributes to the debate on family-like relationships in paid domestic work by drawing attention to the issue of the ‘maternalistic’ attitudes that are at play between migrant employees and non-migrant employers. It examines the ways in which a lack of citizenship rights on the part of migrant workers, resulting from being either temporary or undocumented migrants in Europe, influences their relationship with their female employers. The analysis is based on the case of Filipina women employed as domestic workers in Amsterdam and Rome and demonstrates how the migrants’ lack of citizenship rights reinforces maternalistic relationships with their employers.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    The actual official number of migrant domestic workers in Italy is 807,000; 75,000 of whom are from the Philippines (INPS, 2012).

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Marchetti, S. (2016). Citizenship and Maternalism in Migrant Domestic Labour: Filipina Workers and Their Employers in Amsterdam and Rome. In: Gullikstad, B., Kristensen, G., Ringrose, P. (eds) Paid Migrant Domestic Labour in a Changing Europe. Citizenship, Gender and Diversity. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-51742-5_7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-51742-5_7

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-137-51741-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-137-51742-5

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