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DOMESTIC WORK OR WORKING AT INFORMAL SECTOR: A STUDY OF WOMEN IN SEMNAN
Corresponding Author(s) : Soheila Alirezanejad
Humanities & Social Sciences Reviews,
Vol. 9 No. 2 (2021): March
Abstract
Purpose: Present study aims to seek the reason why some women are working in the informal sector while the payment is meagre and there is neither insurance nor any bonus.
Methodology: Answering the above question, a mixed-method was designed (Grounded theory and survey). Data was gathered by using semi-structured interviews and questionnaires. Due to research limitations, quota sampling was used. During this research, 14 interviews were conducted with employed women in the informal sector. Discussions were open-ended. In addition, 180 questionnaires were filled out by participants.
Main findings: Findings indicated that these women have to choose between unpaid, endless domestic work and complex low-wage employment in the informal sector. They have to work because they want to have autonomy, and they feel a responsibility towards their family, especially their children. Despite the low payment, their job brought about a sort of empowerment for them. Working in the informal sector let them support their family and achieve emotional capital. If they do not work in the informal sector, they have to work at home as an unpaid worker of their family.
Application of the study: Women's employment in the informal sector has increased quickly during recent years, so examining their working conditions, especially from the point of view of salaries and benefits, can be effective in improving their living conditions
Novelty/Originality: The reason for the increase in demand for work in the informal sector, especially by women, is an issue that has never been explicitly addressed.
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- Adkins, L. S., B. (2004). Feminism after Bourdieu. Blackwell Publishing.
- Alirezanejad, S., Khakpoor, S. (2016). A gender analysis on spending and saving money among families in Tehran. Women in politics and development, 13(2), 151-170.
- Bahramitash, R. (2010). Challenges with the Neoliberal Economy: (gender and Globalization in Southeast Asia). SAMT Publishing House.
- Castells, M. (1997). The Power of Identity (The Information Age: Economy, Society and Culture, Volume II).
- Dabrowski, V. (2021). Neoliberal feminism’: Legitimising the gendered moral project of austerity. The Sociological Review, 69(1), 90-106. https://doi.org/10.1177/0038026120938289 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0038026120938289
- De Villiers, B., Taylor, M. (2019). . S, 17, 13. (2019). Promoting a positive work experience for South African domestic workers. SA Journal of Human Resource Management, 17(13), 4102. https://doi.org/10.4102 /sajhrm.v17i0.1206
- Giddens, A. (1993). Sociology, Anthony Giddens (Second Edition). Polity Press in association with Blackwell Publishers.
- Haeri, S. (2013). No End in Sight: Politics, Paradox, and Gender Politics in Iran. Boston University Law Review. Panel V: International Perspectives, 93, 1047.
- Iranian Statistical Center (2018). Employed women statistics in Iran.
- Jokela, M. (2017). The role of domestic employment policies in shaping precarious work. Social Policy & Administration, 51(2), 286-307. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/spol.12288
- Kivimäki, M., Virtanen, M., Nyberg, S. T., Batty, G. D. (2020). The WHO/ILO report on long working hours and ischaemic heart disease - Conclusions are not supported by the evidence. Environment international, 144, 106048. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2020.106048 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2020.106048
- Litman, L., Robinson, J., Rosen, Z., Rosenzweig, C., Waxman, J., Bates, L. M. (2020). The persistence of pay inequality: The gender pay gap in an anonymous online labor market. PloS one, 15(2), e0229383. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0229383 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0229383
- Mammen, K., Paxson, C. (2000). Women’s Work and Economic Development. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 14(4), 141-164. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1257/jep.14.4.141
- Natarajan, B., Rajesh, J. (2018). Domestic Workers and the Challenges of Collective Action in Informal Work. Centre for Sustainable Employment Working Paper.
- Piva, M., Vivarelli, M. (2018). Technological change and employment: is Europe ready for the challenge? Eurasian Bus Rev, 8, 13-32. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40821-017-0100-x DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40821-017-0100-x
- Ritzer, G. (1992). Sociological Theory (Third Edition). McGraw-Hill.
- Salarvandiyan, F., Hosseini, S.A. Habibi, L., Jafari Mehrabadi, M. (2016). The role of informal jobs in relieving informal settlement (case study: hesaramir of pakdasht). Journal of Urban Economics and Management, 4(14), 137-157.
- Singh, P., Pattanaik, F. (2020). Unfolding unpaid domestic work in India: Women’s constraints, choices, and career. Palgrave Communications, 6(1), 1-13. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-020-0488-2
- Swartz, D. L. (2019). Bourdieu’s Concept of Field in the Anglo-Saxon Literature. In J. Blasius, Lebaron, F., Le Roux, B., Schmitz, A. (Ed.), mpirical Investigations of Social Space. Methodos Series (Methodological Prospects in the Social Sciences) (Vol. 15). Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-15387-8_11 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-15387-8_11
- Verick, S. (2018). Female labor force participation and development IZA World of Labor(87v2), 1-11. https://doi.org/10.15185/izawol.87.v2 DOI: https://doi.org/10.15185/izawol.87.v2
- Vijayasingham, L., Govender, V., Witter, S., Remme, M. (2020). Employment based health financing does not support gender equity in universal health coverage. BMJ (Clinical research ed.), 371, m3384. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.m3384 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.m3384
References
Adkins, L. S., B. (2004). Feminism after Bourdieu. Blackwell Publishing.
Alirezanejad, S., Khakpoor, S. (2016). A gender analysis on spending and saving money among families in Tehran. Women in politics and development, 13(2), 151-170.
Bahramitash, R. (2010). Challenges with the Neoliberal Economy: (gender and Globalization in Southeast Asia). SAMT Publishing House.
Castells, M. (1997). The Power of Identity (The Information Age: Economy, Society and Culture, Volume II).
Dabrowski, V. (2021). Neoliberal feminism’: Legitimising the gendered moral project of austerity. The Sociological Review, 69(1), 90-106. https://doi.org/10.1177/0038026120938289 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0038026120938289
De Villiers, B., Taylor, M. (2019). . S, 17, 13. (2019). Promoting a positive work experience for South African domestic workers. SA Journal of Human Resource Management, 17(13), 4102. https://doi.org/10.4102 /sajhrm.v17i0.1206
Giddens, A. (1993). Sociology, Anthony Giddens (Second Edition). Polity Press in association with Blackwell Publishers.
Haeri, S. (2013). No End in Sight: Politics, Paradox, and Gender Politics in Iran. Boston University Law Review. Panel V: International Perspectives, 93, 1047.
Iranian Statistical Center (2018). Employed women statistics in Iran.
Jokela, M. (2017). The role of domestic employment policies in shaping precarious work. Social Policy & Administration, 51(2), 286-307. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/spol.12288
Kivimäki, M., Virtanen, M., Nyberg, S. T., Batty, G. D. (2020). The WHO/ILO report on long working hours and ischaemic heart disease - Conclusions are not supported by the evidence. Environment international, 144, 106048. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2020.106048 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2020.106048
Litman, L., Robinson, J., Rosen, Z., Rosenzweig, C., Waxman, J., Bates, L. M. (2020). The persistence of pay inequality: The gender pay gap in an anonymous online labor market. PloS one, 15(2), e0229383. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0229383 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0229383
Mammen, K., Paxson, C. (2000). Women’s Work and Economic Development. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 14(4), 141-164. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1257/jep.14.4.141
Natarajan, B., Rajesh, J. (2018). Domestic Workers and the Challenges of Collective Action in Informal Work. Centre for Sustainable Employment Working Paper.
Piva, M., Vivarelli, M. (2018). Technological change and employment: is Europe ready for the challenge? Eurasian Bus Rev, 8, 13-32. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40821-017-0100-x DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40821-017-0100-x
Ritzer, G. (1992). Sociological Theory (Third Edition). McGraw-Hill.
Salarvandiyan, F., Hosseini, S.A. Habibi, L., Jafari Mehrabadi, M. (2016). The role of informal jobs in relieving informal settlement (case study: hesaramir of pakdasht). Journal of Urban Economics and Management, 4(14), 137-157.
Singh, P., Pattanaik, F. (2020). Unfolding unpaid domestic work in India: Women’s constraints, choices, and career. Palgrave Communications, 6(1), 1-13. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-020-0488-2
Swartz, D. L. (2019). Bourdieu’s Concept of Field in the Anglo-Saxon Literature. In J. Blasius, Lebaron, F., Le Roux, B., Schmitz, A. (Ed.), mpirical Investigations of Social Space. Methodos Series (Methodological Prospects in the Social Sciences) (Vol. 15). Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-15387-8_11 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-15387-8_11
Verick, S. (2018). Female labor force participation and development IZA World of Labor(87v2), 1-11. https://doi.org/10.15185/izawol.87.v2 DOI: https://doi.org/10.15185/izawol.87.v2
Vijayasingham, L., Govender, V., Witter, S., Remme, M. (2020). Employment based health financing does not support gender equity in universal health coverage. BMJ (Clinical research ed.), 371, m3384. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.m3384 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.m3384