Recognition and Ideology: Assessing Justice and Injustice in the Case of Child Domestic Labor

Abstract

Some cases of injustice are hardly perceived as such by individuals who experience them, even when there are established legal frameworks, public policies and social mobilization to combat a particular situation of injustice. This chapter examines one of these situations, namely child domestic labor (CDL), a deep-rooted socio-cultural practice found in many parts of the world. Our study focuses on CDL in Belém, the state capital of Para, in Northern Brazil, where the International Labor Organization (ILO) has implanted a pilot program combating child work.