Abstract
In Spain, most jobs available for Latin American immigrant women are in intimate labour (caregiving and domestic work). This work is usually performed under informal employment conditions. The objective of this study was to explain how the colonial logic mediates the experiences of Latin American women working in intimate labour in Spain, and the effects of such occupation on their health and wellbeing, using a decolonial theoretical framework. A multi-site secondary data analysis of qualitative data from four previous studies was performed utilizing 101 interviews with Latin American immigrant women working as caregivers in Spain. Three interwoven categories show how the dominant colonial logic in Spain creates low social status and precarious jobs, and naturalizes intimate labour as their métier while producing detrimental physical and psychosocial health consequences for these immigrant caregivers. The caregivers displayed several strategies to resist and navigate intimate labour and manage its negative impact on health. Respect and integration into the family for whom they work had a buffering effect, mediating the effects of working conditions on health and wellbeing. Based on our analysis, we suggest that employment, social, and health protection laws and strategies are needed to promote a positive working environment, and to reduce the impact of caregiving work for Latin American caregivers.
Highlights
Immigrants leave their countries of origin searching for a better quality of life for themselves and their families
Personal relationships mediated the effect of working conditions on health and wellbeing: if relationships were based on exploitation, servilism, and discrimination, the health effects would be worse
The main argument of this paper is that currently the dominant neocolonial logic in Spain creates low social status and precarious work for Latin American women, it naturalizes intimate labour as their métier, while producing detrimental physical and psychosocial health consequences for these immigrant domestic workers
Summary
To analyze the care work of women caregivers, their perception of working conditions and their relationships with the people they care for and their families.To analyze how the LatinAmerican women caregivers in Mallorca are misrecognized and colonializedTo describe access and utilisation of social and healthcare services by undocumented women working and living in rural and urban areas, and the barriers these women may face MethodologiesQualitative approach underpinned byMix-methods multisite study.Qualitative inquiry underpinned by. To analyze the care work of women caregivers, their perception of working conditions and their relationships with the people they care for and their families. American women caregivers in Mallorca are misrecognized and colonialized. To describe access and utilisation of social and healthcare services by undocumented women working and living in rural and urban areas, and the barriers these women may face Methodologies
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