ABSTRACT

Domestic work constitutes a large sector, with more than a million women working as domestic workers. In South Africa, it is a norm that whites employ black women as domestic servants, but with the demise of apartheid, there has been an increase in the employment of domestic workers in black families. However, hiring family members as domestic workers in black families is an under-researched area. Drawing from the authors dissertation, this article examines family domestic work – whereby family members hire their relatives as domestic workers – in rural Limpopo. The study mobilises a qualitative approach to comprehend the experiences of hiring kin as domestic workers. Findings illustrate that family domestic work is an act of reciprocal care amongst family members. Relatives hire their kin to help with domestic duties and enabling family members to provide for their families. The relationship between ‘sister-maids’ and ‘sister-madams’ is intertwined, which leads to the difficulty of balancing formal employment and family relations. Thus, family domestic work symbolises a capitalised reciprocal caring within black families in post-apartheid South Africa, as helping involves paying each other. The article does not generalise on family domestic work, but contributes to the body of knowledge about domestic work within black families.

摘要

家政工作是一个很大的部门，有超过 100 万妇女担任家政工人。在南非，白人雇用黑人女性做家庭佣人是一种常态，但随着种族隔离制度的消亡，黑人家庭雇佣家庭佣工的情况有所增加。然而，雇佣家庭成员作为黑人家庭的家庭佣工是一个研究不足的领域。根据作者的论文，本文考察了林波波农村地区的家庭家政工作——家庭成员雇用他们的亲戚作为家政工人。该研究采用定性方法来理解雇用亲属作为家政工人的经历。调查结果显示，家庭家政工作是家庭成员之间相互照顾的行为。亲戚雇用他们的亲属帮助他们做家务，并使家庭成员能够养家糊口。“阿姨”与“阿姨”的关系盘根错节，导致正式就业与家庭关系难以平衡。因此，家庭家务劳动象征着后种族隔离时期南非黑人家庭内部资本化的互惠关怀，因为帮助包括互相付出。这篇文章并没有概括家庭家政工作，而是对黑人家庭中家政工作的知识体系做出贡献。家庭家务劳动象征着后种族隔离时期南非黑人家庭中资本化的相互关怀，因为帮助涉及到互相付出。这篇文章并没有概括家庭家政工作，而是对黑人家庭中家政工作的知识体系做出贡献。家庭家务劳动象征着后种族隔离时期南非黑人家庭中资本化的相互关怀，因为帮助涉及到互相付出。这篇文章并没有概括家庭家政工作，而是对黑人家庭中家政工作的知识体系做出贡献。