SOC 306 NEU Exploring Work Experiences Discussion

Question 1 : In Maid in L.A., how did the live-in domestic workers describe their experiences? How did their experiences differ from the live-out nannies and housecleaners?

Question 2: Gender Fluid Geek Girls examines gender inequality in the tech industry. Based on the reading and/or your own experiences, describe two examples of gender discrimination in the workplace. What do Alfrey & Twine mean by a “spectrum of belonging?”

Question 3: Men still dominate every part of news, entertainment, and digital media. Describe three key findings from the Status of Women in U.S. Media report. 

Please do not plagiarize. Do not copy-paste. Each response should be 150 words before citations. Please use the sources provided to answer these 3 questions.

Question 4: What resistance have you seen to efforts of members of marginalized groups (e.g., women, people of color, or people with disabilities) to name themselves? What are some ways that we can reduce such resistance?

Question 5: The authors of article 34 illustrate how school bullying and cyberbullying are becoming more prevalent in society. What factors do you think contribute to their growth? What are some ways in which we can work toward eliminating school bullying and cyberbullying?

Each response should be 150 words before citations. Please use the textbook to answer questions 4-5. You can refer to chapters 26-34 in the textbook

Textbook: Tracy E. Ore. 2019. The Social Construction of Difference and Inequality: Race, Class, Gender, and Sexuality, Seventh edition. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. ISBN: 9780190647964 (pbk).

Respond to these discussion posts. Replies to peer posts should offer additional insight and should be around 50 words in length before citations

1. In Maid in L.A. by Hondagneu-Sotelo, the live-in domestic workers described their experiences to be quite negative. They felt as though they were mistreated as they were expected to “work around the clock” and earned very little for the work they completed; roughly $150 per week. The live-in domestic workers wanted their employers to recognize what they are capable of and acknowledge what they have accomplished. The live-in domestic workers felt “The soul-destroying hollowness of live-in domestic work” (p. 223) as the employers did not recognize their achievements and made them feel useless and isolated; at times, the live-in domestic workers did not leave the remote, hillside, gate community for six days straight. Due to the unfair treatment, most live-in domestic workers leave as this job is not suitable for them. They had very little privacy and were not given enough compensation for “room and board”, which left them unable to raise a family. The live-out nannies and housekeepers also described their experiences to be quite negative. They felt as though they were mistreated for a variety of reasons. They were expected to simultaneously care for the children and keep the house spotless. The children mistreated the live-out nannies and housekeepers and little-to-no consequences for their actions. Additionally, the housecleaners were expected to study different chemicals and cleaning products while managing to clean a 25-room house to the homeowner’s exact specifications. The labor was “backbreaking” which left the house cleaners to be in pain and suffering from injuries. Rather than “tidying” up the homeowner’s homes, they were instructed to scrub the sinks, toilets, and tubs, work the grease out of the ovens and soot out the fireplaces.

2. In Maid in L.A. live-in domestic workers described their experiences as being difficult. As an example, Maribel expressed her first live-in job pay to be “bad” (p. 224). She explained how the treatment was not racist but a bit inconsiderate (p. 224). Maribel had to work long hours taking care of a seven-year old boy, but also clean twenty-three rooms in the house she worked at. The Latino immigrant lost her basic right to privacy through this job, she couldn’t walk around in a T-shirt like she would at her own house, or grab food as she pleases (p. 224). Simple boundaries that you would find at your own home, aren’t available at a live-in job. There is no clear line between work and non-work time, “the line between job space and private space is similarly blurred” (p. 224). Live-in nannies/housekeepers are surrounded by other individuals’ territory and in return are socially isolated and kept at arm’s length away. These nannies/housekeepers live with many people yet they have no time that’s theirs, instead they remain “invisible, unknown and apart, of never being able to leave the margins” it made the women feel “sad, lonely, and depressed” (p. 224). Food was also a struggle for live-in nannies/housekeepers, some families would have little to no food left for the women to eat after a long day of work. The live-out nannies and house cleaners explained their jobs to be similar to the style of live-in nannies, however, one good condition is that these women eventually returned to their own home after work. The struggle of living out nannies consists of frequent work that requires women to become “octopuses” whose arms are continuously busy in all directions (p. 227). The children also gave hard times to nannies as they had to watch over the kids, feed and teach them as well. What the kids eat or don’t eat is also something nannies have to pay attention towards, they would also have to feed/clean their pets, which became a struggle for them (p. 228). House cleaners who speak somewhat english and drive their own car end up receiving a greater salary than women who don’t speak any english and travel in a bus. These women also get to enjoy their regular family life compared to individuals who are live-in nannies. They received a shorter workweek, control over the pace of work, and flexibility in arranging when they need to work (p. 230). The different days these women worked, they basically sold their labor service to others.