Skills and Social Reproductive Work

Abstract

As we argued in the previous chapter, the literature on gendered migration has largely focused on the household as the site for migrant labour with cleaning and caring being the primary occupations that female migrants seem to be employed in. However, recognising the other sectors and sites where female migrants work in order to provide similar services — often in more marketised versions such as in residential care homes, the hospitality sector, tourism or in sex work — suggests that the same skills may be regulated and valued differently in different sites. Migrant women are also engaged in skilled reproductive sectors, such as nursing, social work and teaching. Moreover, they bring with them and develop a range of skills that are crucial to the family and the community. They help to ensure the social reproduction of their children through inculcating in them a range of values and skills.