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In the Absence of Men? Gender, Migration and Domestic Labour in the Southern Ecuadorean Andes

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 February 2012

EMMA-JAYNE ABBOTS
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Abstract

Female heads of households in the migrant-exporting community of Jima, Ecuador, are using remittances to employ domestic workers. As both workers and ‘mistresses’ originate from the same mestizo peasant class, these new labour relations do not reflect embedded class inequalities, but are rather emerging as a new mode of distinction between newly prosperous households and those for whom migration has been a less successful strategy. This lends a temporal fragility and fluidity to household relations, as worker and employer seek to define their roles and establish hierarchies. Employers negotiate these tensions not only to reduce their own burden of labour, but also because domestic workers are a symbol of social mobility and help enhance the reputation of migrant men. Thus, while men are physically absent, they continue to inform the reorganisation of the Jimeño household, and there is little to suggest that gender roles are being realigned in a structurally significant manner.

Spanish abstract

Mujeres jefas de hogar en la comunidad exportadora de migrantes de Jima, Ecuador, utilizan las remesas para emplear a trabajadoras domésticas. Ya que tanto las trabajadoras como las ‘patronas’ tienen un mismo origen de clase campesino y mestizo, estas nuevas relaciones laborales no reflejan desigualdades de clase, sino más bien emergen como una nueva forma de distinción entre los nuevos hogares prósperos y aquellos para los que la migración ha sido una estrategia menos exitosa. Esto lleva a una fragilidad y fluidez temporal en las relaciones en el hogar, en la medida en que las trabajadoras y las empleadoras buscan definir sus roles y establecer jerarquías. Las empleadoras negocian estas tensiones no sólo para reducir su propia carga de trabajo, sino porque también las trabajadoras domésticas son un símbolo de movilidad social y ayudan a acrecentar la reputación de los hombres migrantes. Entonces, mientras que los hombres están ausentes físicamente, éstos continúan influyendo en la reorganización del hogar jimeño, y no parece ser que los roles de género se estén realineando de una forma estructuralmente significativa.

Portuguese abstract

Em uma comunidade que exporta migrantes chamada Jima, no Equador, mulheres chefes de família utilizam remessas de dinheiro para empregar trabalhadores domésticos. Como tanto os trabalhadores e quanto as ‘patrôas’ tem origens na mesma classe camponesa mestiça, essas novas relações de trabalho não refletem desigualdades de classe embutidas, mas um novo modo de diferenciação entre famílias recém-afluentes e aquelas nas quais a emigração foi uma estratégia menos bem-sucedida. Isso empresta uma característica temporária, frágil e fluida, às relações domésticas nas quais trabalhadora e empregadora buscam definir seus papéis e estabelecer hierarquias. Empregadoras negociam essas tensões não apenas para reduzir sua própria carga de trabalho, mas também devido ao fato de que ter trabalhadores domésticos simboliza mobilidade social e ajuda a destacar a reputação dos homens que emigraram. Desse modo, embora os homens estejam ausentes fisicamente, eles continuam a influenciar a reorganização da unidade doméstica jimenha, havendo pouco para sugerir que os papéis dos gêneros estão se reconstituindo de uma maneira estruturalmente significante.

Keywords

domestic labourremittancesmigrationleisuregender relationshousehold hierarchiescare chainsEcuadortrabajo domésticoremesasmigracióntiempo librerelaciones de génerojerarquías domésticascadenas de cuidadoEcuadortrabalho domésticoremessas monetáriasmigraçãolazerrelações de gênerohierarquias domésticascare chain (‘rede de cuidados’)Equador
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Latin American Studies , Volume 44 , Issue 1 , February 2012 , pp. 71 - 96
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2012

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