An investigation of domestic workers' perceptions into the effects of employer involvement on parenting and parental autonomy

Domestic workers (DWs) have been described in sociological literature as "trapped" workers. They have been portrayed as workers coerced into powerlessness and unassertiveness by virtue of their economic dependence on employers. Observations of DWs in clinical settings have confirmed these assertions. This study examines how eight DWs negotiate their parental authority f autonomy while having their own children living with them on their employers' premises and also having employers involved in parenting DWs' children. The results are based on semi-structured interviews with DWs. Interviews were taped, transcribed and the data analysed qualitatively. Results were discussed according to the following themes: 1. the nature of employer involvement 2. areas of employer involvement 3. areas of employer non-involvement in parenting and its relationship to the issues of power, culture and difference. Emergent themes were identified and discussed. Overall the expected finding that DWs would experience difficulties with parental autonomy was not supported. Recommendations regarding implications for treatment and research are made.

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

Department of Psychology

Year dc:date.issued

1998

Author dc:creator

• Christian, Rucksana

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Swartz, Leslie

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/11427/9062

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/9062