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Migrant Care Labour: The Commodification and Redistribution of Care and Emotional Work

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 March 2013

Gudrun Bauer  and
August Österle
Gudrun Bauer
Affiliation:
Institute for Social Policy, Vienna University of Economics and Business E-mail: gudrun.bauer@wu.ac.at
August Österle
Affiliation:
Institute for Social Policy, Vienna University of Economics and Business E-mail: august.oesterle@wu.ac.at
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Abstract

Many European countries are experiencing a redistribution of care work from family members to paid migrant workers in private households. This involves not only a commodification of the practical tasks of care work, but also a redistribution of the emotional element of care. This study explores the emotional experiences of migrant care workers from Central Eastern Europe providing care work in private households in Austria. Based on a literature review and qualitative interviews with migrant care workers, the article investigates the emotional dimensions of migrant care work and the ways in which the regulatory context impacts on these dimensions.

Keywords

Care workemotional labourlong-term caremigrant carewelfare regulations
Type
Themed Section on Welfare State Reform, Recognition and Emotional Labour
Information
Social Policy and Society , Volume 12 , Issue 3 , July 2013 , pp. 461 - 473
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2013 

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