Dissertation
Two sides of the story: the experiences and perspectives of child domestic workers and their employers in Bandung, Indonesia
University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland
Doctor of Philosophy, University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland
2021
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25907/00103
Abstract
The phenomenon of child domestic workers in Indonesia represents a human rights issue of serious concern, due to the exploitation and abuse faced by many children, and the hidden nature of the work within employers’ home (MuhammedAlly 2005). The lack of legal protections for domestic workers in Indonesia, and pervasive cultural norms that suggest child domestic workers are treated ‘like family’, leave child domestic workers at the mercy of their employer (MuhammedAlly 2005). While there is a significant body of research exploring the experiences of Indonesian female migrant domestic workers employed overseas, in countries other than Indonesia (Barker 2018; HRW 2011; Nurchayati 2011; Parreñas et al. 2019; Silvey 2004; Ueno 2014; Yeoh & Huang 2010), there is a gap in the current body of literature regarding the lives of child domestic workers in Indonesia.
This research presents the findings from participatory child-focused research in Bandung, West Java, Indonesia, and seeks to understand the lived experiences and perspectives of child domestic workers (pembantu) and those of the employers of child domestic workers. The research focusses on 17 domestic workers between the ages of 14 and 17, to contribute to a growing body of research that acknowledges Indonesian marginalised children as active agents in the construction of their own lives (Beazley 2017). A variety of participatory research techniques were used in this study, designed to understand the children’s lives from their own perspective. Eight employers of child domestic workers were also interviewed.
Details
- Title
- Two sides of the story: the experiences and perspectives of child domestic workers and their employers in Bandung, Indonesia
- Authors
- Sarah Windred
- Contributors
- Claudia Baldwin (Co-Supervisor) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Sustainability Research ClusterHarriot Beazley (Principal Supervisor) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Sustainability Research Cluster
- Awarding institution
- University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland
- Degree awarded
- Doctor of Philosophy
- Publisher
- University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland
- DOI
- 10.25907/00103
- Organisation Unit
- Faculty of Science, Health, Education and Engineering; Faculty of Arts, Business and Law; Indigenous and Transcultural Research Centre; School of Law and Society; Sustainability Research Cluster
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 99584908102621
- Output Type
- Dissertation
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