Same Work, Different Jobs: Divergent Experiences of Childcare Work Among Nannies

• In Event: 161 - Section on Organizations, Occupation and Work Roundtable Session (one-hour).
  In Refereed Roundtable: Table 15. Job Insecurity and Temporary Employment II

Abstract

This paper compares the experience of private childcare work among two divergent groups of nannies in a large city in the Northeast. Using Julia Wrigley’s categories, this study builds on previous studies of childcare work by comparing the feelings of nannies hired for their similarity to their employers, and nannies hired for their difference from their employers. Differences between these two groups cluster around race, ethnicity, legal status, age, and education. I argue that the experiences of these two groups differ sharply in terms of their feelings of disrespect in public and with their employers, and their feelings of stigma among their friends and family. The study is set in the context of precarious work where employees bear the brunt of employment instability and uncertainty.

Author

• Tina Wu, University of Pennsylvania