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Paid Domestic Labour As Precarious Work in China

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Paid Domestic Labour As Precarious Work in China PAID DOMESTIC LABOUR AS PRECARIOUS WORK IN CHINA by Xinying Hu THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY In the Department of Women’s Studies © Xinying Hu 2010 SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY Spring 2010 All rights reserved. This work may not be reproduced in whole or in part, by photocopy or other means, without permission of the author. APPROVAL Name: Xinying Hu Degree: Doctor of Philosophy Title of Thesis: Paid Domestic Labour as Precarious Work in China Examining Committee: Chair: Dr. Catherine Murray Professor of Women’s Studies and Communications ____________________________________________________ Dr. Marjorie Griffin Cohen Senior Supervisor Professor of Women’s Studies and Political Science ____________________________________________________ Dr. Stephen McBride Supervisor Professor of Political Science ____________________________________________________ Dr. Jen Marchbank Supervisor Associate Professor of Explorations in Arts and Social Sciences ____________________________________________________ Dr. Fiona MacPhail Supervisor Associate Professor of Economics University of Northern British Columbia ____________________________________________________ Dr. John Calvert Internal Examiner Associate Professor of Health Sciences ____________________________________________________ Dr. Xiao-Yuan Dong External Examiner Professor of Economics University of Winnipeg Date Defended/Approved: 5 February 2010 ii Declaration of Partial Copyright Licence The author, whose copyright is declared on the title page of this work, has granted to Simon Fraser University the right to lend this thesis, project or extended essay to users of the Simon Fraser University Library, and to make partial or single copies only for such users or in response to a request from the library of any other university, or other educational institution, on its own behalf or for one of its users. The author has further granted permission to Simon Fraser University to keep or make a digital copy for use in its circulating collection (currently available to the public at the “Institutional Repository” link of the SFU Library website <www.lib.sfu.ca> at: <http://ir.lib.sfu.ca/handle/1892/112>) and, without changing the content, to translate the thesis/project or extended essays, if technically possible, to any medium or format for the purpose of preservation of the digital work. The author has further agreed that permission for multiple copying of this work for scholarly purposes may be granted by either the author or the Dean of Graduate Studies. It is understood that copying or publication of this work for financial gain shall not be allowed without the author’s written permission. Permission for public performance, or limited permission for private scholarly use, of any multimedia materials forming part of this work, may have been granted by the author. This information may be found on the separately catalogued multimedia material and in the signed Partial Copyright Licence. While licensing SFU to permit the above uses, the author retains copyright in the thesis, project or extended essays, including the right to change the work for subsequent purposes, including editing and publishing the work in whole or in part, and licensing other parties, as the author may desire. The original Partial Copyright Licence attesting to these terms, and signed by this author, may be found in the original bound copy of this work, retained in the Simon Fraser University Archive. Simon Fraser University Library Burnaby, BC, Canada Last revision: Spring 09 STATEMENT OF ETHICS APPROVAL The author, whose name appears on the title page of this work, has obtained, for the research described in this work, either: (a) Human research ethics approval from the Simon Fraser University Office of Research Ethics, or (b) Advance approval of the animal care protocol from the University Animal Care Committee of Simon Fraser University; or has conducted the research (c) as a co-investigator, collaborator or research assistant in a research project approved in advance, or (d) as a member of a course approved in advance for minimal risk human research, by the Office of Research Ethics. A copy of the approval letter has been filed at the Theses Office of the University Library at the time of submission of this thesis or project. The original application for approval and letter of approval are filed with the relevant offices. Inquiries may be directed to those authorities. Simon Fraser University Library Simon Fraser University Burnaby, BC, Canada Last update: Spring 2010 ABSTRACT Paid domestic labour in China revived in the early 1980s after the state began its transition from a socialist centrally planned economy to a socialist market-oriented economy. This dissertation focuses on what happened to gender relations as well as class equality in the wake of the development of private domestic service during this economic transition. Using a socialist feminist framework, the analysis of the current marketization of domestic labour is situated in both the context of global capitalism and the reconfigured nature of patriarchy under neoliberal governance, albeit in a socialist state. The current market-oriented labour system and specifically paid domestic workers’ situation in China can be understood through the inter-related nature of emerging capitalist markets, and historical patriarchal institutions related to both state socialism and the family. This dissertation analyzes the ways that market reforms in China have affected women and the state and their relationship to paid domestic work. The consequences of the marketization of various aspects of domestic life that used to have a more communal character have radically changed social reproduction responsibilities and have put them even more squarely on women in the private sphere. Economic and state policy changes related to social reproduction create both the new supply of and demand for paid domestic work. iii Based on interviews with domestic workers, their employers, their social advocates, and government officials, this investigation examines the economic and social security of domestic workers and provides information about their precarious work circumstances that could be improved through public policy. China is rapidly reconfiguring its regime of social reproduction and is in a period when new policy needs to be considered: the economic and social securities that had been provided by the pre-reform social reproduction regime are substantially weakened through the marketization of domestic labour. Keywords: paid domestic labour; precarious work; gender regime; domestic employment regime; economic and social security; resistance Subject Terms: political economy; labour; domestic work; care work; gender; China iv DEDICATION To Bin and Yi Qing (Millie) – with my love v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my sincere appreciation to all those who have helped me in completing this work. My deepest thanks go to, Dr. Marjorie Griffin Cohen, who guided me, with great patience, throughout my entire doctoral study. I am very privileged to have you as my senior supervisor. The knowledge, experience, and scrupulous attitude to academic research that I have learned from you will benefit me for my whole life. To my supervisory committee members, Dr. Stephen McBride, Dr. Jen Marchbank, and Dr. Fiona MacPhail, I thank you all for your consistent support, and always helpful and supportive comments and suggestions on this research. I thank my external examiner, Dr. Xiao-Yuan Dong and my internal examiner, Dr. John Calvert, for your questions, comments and suggestions, which greatly improved the quality of this research. I also want to express my sincere appreciation to the faculty members and the staff of the Department of Women’s Studies for your support and encouragement throughout my doctoral program. I would like to thank Dr. Fiona MacPhail and Dr. Marjorie Griffin Cohen for the financial support you provided through research assistantships. I also thank the Department of Women’s Studies for the help through graduate fellowships and teaching assistantships. I am indebted to Simon Fraser University and Boag Foundation Graduate Award in Women's Studies for the funding that made this research possible. I thank all my SFU friends and colleagues who have made my life meaningful and rewarding. My thanks particularly goes to Renji Chen and his vi wife Xu Xue who have been constantly helping me look after my daughter and making their home a warm home to us. My sincere appreciation goes to my old friends and former colleagues in Women’s Studies Institute of China. Thank you all for your support on my research. My special thanks go to Bohong Liu whose support and encouragement have accompanied me to complete my PhD. I also thank all those who participated in my interviews, especially the domestic workers, without whom this thesis would be impossible. Finally, I owe the successful completion of this work to my family, without whose unconditional love and support, this would not have been possible. I thank my parents, Xiupu Wang and Jingqi Hu, my husband Bin Huang, and my beloved daughter Yi Qing (Millie) Huang. Thank you Millie for moving to Canada with mom and accompanying me through the journey of my PhD study with great patience and love. I hope you will earn a PhD degree when you grow up. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS Approval ........................................................................................................................
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