Dados is one of the most widely-read social sciences journals in Latin America. Created in 1966, it publishes innovative works, originating from academic research, by Brazilian and foreign authors. Edited by IESP-UERJ, it aims to reconcile scientific rigor and academic excellence with an emphasis on public debate based on the analysis of substantive issues of society and politics.
Dados vol. 57 n. 1 Rio de Janeiro jan./mar. 2014
Abstract
This article discusses situations of humiliation as intrinsic events in the daily routine of domestic workers in Greater Metropolitan São Paulo. It particularly focuses on the daily interactions between female employers and female domestic workers, taking place within what could be classified as domestic employment doing everything (in other words, lacking any limit to the tasks performed by female domestic workers). The author argues that situations of humiliation engendered by this occupation are primarily linked to the social distance acting on the meeting between the contractor and the contracted. In short, the preponderant daily routine of domestic work is the humiliation of social distance. The article is based primarily on ten interviews with female domestic workers living in Greater São Paulo, also analyzing newspaper articles on conflictive situations in the day-to-day context of domestic work.
Keywords: domestic work, humiliation, social distance, discrimination, stigma
DOI: 10.1590/S0011-52582014000100007
Humiliation in the Daily Routine of Domestic Workers
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