Transnationalism and the Politics of "Home" for Philippine Domestic Workers

Authors

  • Pauline Gardiner Barber Dalhousie University

Abstract

Gendered labour migration and transnationalism have become part of the ideological fabric of Filipino culture and nationhood. Local livelihoods and the meanings of "home" are being socially, politically and spatially recast through the unprecedented scale of women's migration. This article explores the cultural politics of Philippine labour migration and offers a critique of victimizing representations of Filipina. Homogenizing cultural idioms portray Filipina as dutiful daughters in families and of the nation, yet migrants' narratives reveal their agency and indicate their differences. Questions are also raised about whether the idea of a travelling culture accommodates the contradictory experiences of migrants. From their perspective, political aspects of travel, culture and economy are elided through a discourse of travelling, flux and the fetishization of the in-between mode.

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Author Biography

Pauline Gardiner Barber, Dalhousie University

Pauline Gardiner Barber is an Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology at Dalhousie University, where she teaches courses on work, gender, culture and political economy. She also holds cross-appointments in International Development Studies and Women's Studies. Currently her research investigates questions associated with gendered livelihoods, development and cultural politics in the Philippines and Cape Breton.

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Published

2022-06-07

How to Cite

Barber, P. G. (2022). Transnationalism and the Politics of "Home" for Philippine Domestic Workers. Anthropologica, 39(1-2), 39–52. Retrieved from https://cas-sca.journals.uvic.ca/index.php/anthropologica/article/view/2050

Issue

Vol. 39 No. 1-2 (1997)

Section

Thematic Section:

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