Comparative Perspectives on Domestic Work in Latin America (Argentina and Brazil)

Abstract

The field of studies focusing on paid domestic work has been particularly dynamic in recent decades. Most such studies have focused on the characteristics that these occupations take on in the global north (where migrant workers play a significant role) and how these activities are organized at the global level. In this article we are seeking to articulate these dominant approaches with the perspectives that have been privileged in analyses carried out in Latin American countries. To do so, we explore the particular dynamics of domestic service in some countries in the region (especially Argentina and Brazil), focusing on three dimensions: the characteristics and impact of migratory dynamics on the occupation; the development of state regulations and the recent transformations in these; and the importance of spaces for socializing and the collective organization of domestic workers.