Power relations and persistent low fertility among domestic workers in Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico

Abstract

Working papers of the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research receive only limited review. Views or opinions expressed in working papers are attributable to the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Institute.

The Neglected Role of Domestic Migration on Family Patterns in Latin America and the Caribbean, 1950–2000

“…The prevalence of informal live‐in and live‐out domestic work arrangements among migrant women in LACar cities, along with the overrepresentation of rural‐to‐urban migrants in this occupation, underline the importance of material and financial constraints for family formation paths (Casanova 2019; Jelin 1977; Moya 2007). Indeed, the results are consistent with census‐based analysis documenting sustained low fertility among live‐in domestic workers in Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico (Castro Torres, Gutierrez Vazquez, and Bernardes 2022).…”

“…Marital and union dissolution is prevalent in this group of women, with 37 percent being divorced or separated at the time of the survey and 22 percent reporting having had more than one partner over their life course. In accordance with emerging quantitative and well-established qualitative studies, this group may comprise women who are working in private domestic service, street sales, and other informal, underpaid, and potentially exploitative occupations, which tend to be incompatible with higher fertility and more stable familial unions (Casanova 2019;Castro Torres, Gutierrez Vazquez, and Bernardes 2022;Chanel and Garcia Castro 1989;Pérez 2021).…”

“…These inequalities manifest across different dimensions, including geography (e.g., rural vs. urban), gender, racial, and ethnic groups (Chackiel and Schkolnik 2004; Deere and Leon 2003; Woo‐Mora 2021), implying that the most vulnerable (and privileged) groups in LACar countries are defined by the intersection of social categories (Viveros Vigoya 2015). An example of these intersecting social and economic disparities can be observed among indigenous women born in rural areas who migrated to urban areas as teenagers: these women typically work as live‐in domestic workers in the middle‐ and upper‐class households of highly educated women (Castro Torres, Gutierrez Vazquez, and Bernardes 2022).…”