Re-examining the middle-class thesis: Class profiles of families employing migrant domestic workers in Hong Kong

To what extent is employing migrant domestic workers (MDWs) a middle-class practice in Hong Kong? I drew quantitative data from the Population Census and a representative household survey to test the middle-class thesis. The results show that a significant proportion of the families that currently employ or had ever employed MDWs were not from middle-class backgrounds. As the practice of hiring MDWs spread to families from lower socio-economic background, it may be expected that the working and living conditions of MDWs may deteriorate due to the fewer resources of these families.

Anerkennung und ontologische (Un-)Sicherheit von migrantischen Care-Arbeiterinnen in Singapur: Zur Bedeutung von Sichtbarkeit und Zugehörigkeit

Migrant domestic workers in Singapore are situated in a highly hierarchical environment, requiring them to live and work in the same place. This spatial situation leads to a lack of space and time for the female workers which challenges their psychosocial well-being. We ask how the women, nevertheless, develop psychosocial well-being, based on their recognition and subjective embodied positioning, analytically grasped through the concept of ontological (in)security. Based on qualitative interviews, we show how the workers perceive and produce ontological (in)security through spatial dimensions of visibility and belonging. These dimensions are subjectively embodied in multiple places and networks. On behalf of multiple visibilities and belongings outside the domestic realm, domestic care workers in Singapore are able to actively produce ontological security and strengthen their psychosocial well-being. The results show the relevance of implementing regulations for the women to have more possibilities in choosing their whereabouts.

Interpersonal Ties and Health Care: Examining the Social Networks of Filipino Migrant Domestic Workers in Hong Kong

This paper explores the relationship between the social networks of Filipino migrant domestic workers (FMDWs) in Hong Kong and the accessibility of health resources, especially for migrant women. This study primarily draws evidence from ethnographic interviews with 20 FMDWs in Hong Kong. Likewise, this analysis also relied on field notes from participant observations during formal meetings and informal activities. This paper reveals that FMDWs strategically use their strong and weak ties in managing risks and accessing resources for their health and well-being by deciding among their social network who and what to share regarding health concerns. They conscientiously negotiate their rights and opportunities with their employers, who can also provide access to social and institutional resources. Finally, FMDWs participate in conversations and discourses on health-related policies of their home and host countries with their social network. By focusing on the social networks of FMDWs in Hong Kong, this paper conceptually and empirically broadens conversations about how migration becomes a social determinant of health. Moreover, it illustrates how migrant social networks are organized, activated, and mobilized around discourses on state-crafted health policies towards migrant women.

Forced returnee Bangladeshi female migrant domestic workers and their social reintegration experiences

Bangladeshi female migrant domestic workers are often forcefully repatriated from the Middle East before concluding their working tenure due to the various difficulties and challenges they face while working there. However, they face many new challenges in reintegrating with family and society after returning home. This article explores the experiences and challenges faced by forced returnee Bangladeshi female migrant domestic workers during social reintegration. It also examines the experiences of those returned migrant women who were not returned forcibly to provide a better idea of the reintegration. The questions of how and why forced returnee Bangladeshi female migrant domestic workers face challenges and problems in their social reintegration are addressed in this study. This article uses the qualitative techniques of data collection and the analysis is based on an in-depth interview of 28 respondents among different categories of participants. This article finds that the social reintegration experiences of forced returnee female migrant domestic workers are often stressful and difficult due to the issues of changed social perceptions towards them, psychological changes in the returnees themselves, challenges in intimate partnerships, and economic factors in the case of relationship rebuilding with friends, family and society. Finally, the article outlines some policy implications regarding the female migration of Bangladesh.

Patterns of death among migrant domestic workers in Jordan: retrospective analysis of 63 cases in a tertiary hospital

Background This article examines the patterns of death in migrant domestic workers (MDWs) in Jordan. Abuse and difficult circumstances may lead to attempts to escape, neglect, or suicide, but the current literature on death in this population is limited. We systematically explored all medico-legal cases of MDW deaths referred between 2006 and 2016 to the forensic department of one of the main tertiary medical centers in Jordan. Results Sixty-three recorded cases of MDWs death were found. Forty-seven (74.6%) died due to unnatural causes, 15 (23.8%) died naturally, and 1 (1.6%) was undetermined. The rate of suspected suicide comprised 58.3% of unnatural deaths. The most common methods of suicide were hanging and falling from a height. Conclusions This study shows high rates of unnatural death among MDWs in Jordan, many of which with suspicious circumstances. It also indicates that natural deaths are largely attributed to preventable causes. Future studies should include other referral sites (hospitals and forensics departments), to better address the complexity and magnitude of this population’s death circumstances, gain a comprehensive understanding of their issues, and work toward finding a solution. We recommend that special attention is given to MDWs in Jordan and the region to protect their rights on all levels.

Subaltern Praxis: A Vygotskian and Freirean Framework in NGO Education

This article examines the functionality and ideological underpinnings of an NGO system in Beirut, Lebanon. This grassroots NGO, in partnership with the Migrant Community Center and migrant domestic workers from African and Southeast Asian countries, creates an educational space that is both transformative and libratory. This activist space is informed by an anti-racist and feminist ideology. Based on the narratives of this system’s stakeholders, I forward a subaltern praxis, a transformative model for the development sector informed by Vygotsky’s constructivist frameworks and Freirean ideology.