Servants and feminism

John Kawakami johnk at cyberjava.com
Wed Dec 2 15:50:20 PST 1998



>In a number of states, serious unionization has occurred among the
>home-health workers serving the disabled population. These models of
>unionization have generally created regional authorities negotiating on
>behalf of all workers in the industry in the area (made easier with home
>health care since the funder is usually the government). While this model
>is a lot trickier in largely private employment, the answer is either to
>socialize the economic costs through guaranteed child care for example, or
>through hiring hall regulations to assist and encourage unionization.

A more "American" way is to form buyer's cooperatives and professional associations that also take some political actions. Within the Japanese ethnic community, the Japanese gardeners' associations have been not only a positive business association, but have also lent their support to various civil rights and other issues. I'm certain other such groups have been instrumental in other ethnic communities.

As a greater proportion of the population ends up "working contract", the push for better socialization of privatized services should increase.


>The point is that it is easy to condemn the hiring of such personal
>service labor as ostentatious, but there is a serious danger that doing so


>is just a reinforcement of what Arlie Hothschild has called the "Second
>Shift" women have to do on housework. I would say the proper left
>response is to celebrate home labor finding receiving wages and turn the
>examination to whether the wages are enough. The wrong question whether
>paying such wages is something improper - almost implying the wife is
>being indolent - in substituting other labor for previously unpaid labor
>by the wife.
>
>--Nathan Newman

John Kawakami johnk at cyberjava.com URL of the moment -- http://www.riceball.com/quote



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