Unravelling the dynamics of power in the employer-domestic worker relations in contemporary South Africa, KwaZulu-Natal: praxis-oriented research.

Abstract

In South Africa, domestic work continues to serve as a significant source of employment for many Black African women, both in rural and urban settings. Through a critical, praxis-oriented and reflective method of inquiry, this study examined contemporary power dynamics and multifaceted interactions between female domestic workers (DWs) and domestic work employers (DWEs) in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Grounded in post-structural feminism and other emancipatory theoretical frameworks, the study examined how various structures of oppression and privilege intersect in the domestic worker-employer relationships. To qualitatively uncover strategies of power and privilege and explore their deconstruction in the domestic worker-employer relationship, the study employed a critical research paradigm with participative narrative inquiry coupled with a praxis-oriented design. The study utilised a non-probability sampling method, selecting a total of 38 adult participants. Among these, 26 participants were Black African female DWs, while the remaining 12 were female employers of domestic workers, equally representing Black African, Indian, and White racial groups (each category comprising four participants). Data collection was carried out through a series of in-depth individual interviews and focus group discussions, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of the participants’ perspectives and experiences. Ethical considerations were rigorously observed throughout the study, including obtaining informed consent from all participants, ensuring privacy, and maintaining confidentiality of the information shared. The collected data was analysed using NVivo analysis software, with further examination carried out through a combination of critical discourse and thematic analysis to uncover deeper insights. The findings unveiled intricate patterns of power relations including surveillance, narratives of power and powerlessness, agency and acts of resistance, gendered performative acts and mutual dependency between domestic workers and employers. Through exploring the definitions of self-worth and self-determination among these groups, the study contributed to a deeper understanding of the socio-political implications of domestic work and offered insights into the potential for praxis-oriented research to challenge and deconstruct prevailing power structures in the employer-domestic worker relationship. This study highlights the urgent need to challenge and disrupt the entrenched systems of neoliberal capitalism and patriarchy that underpin the structural roots of gendered racism in domestic work. Ultimately and at its core, this study aimed to humanise domestic work, redefine its societal value, and inspire critical reflection and action to address the deeply entrenched inequalities within this labour sector. Recommendations include the promotion of collective action, raising critical consciousness that could inform policies and practices towards more equitable and respectful employment conditions, and promoting educational initiatives aimed at dismantling the intersecting oppressions that perpetuate inequality in the domestic work sector.