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Domestic Cleaners in the Informal Labour Market: New Working Realities Shaped by the Gig Economy?
[journal article]
Abstract Previous studies show that gig economy‐based work opens up new ways in which inequalities are (re)produced. In this context, it is particularly important to look at female cleaners in private households, where gender inequalities intersect with other axes of disadvantage such as class, migratory exp... view more
Previous studies show that gig economy‐based work opens up new ways in which inequalities are (re)produced. In this context, it is particularly important to look at female cleaners in private households, where gender inequalities intersect with other axes of disadvantage such as class, migratory experience, or ascribed ethnicity. This spatially and linguistically fragmented group presents challenges for scientific research, which is reflected in insufficient data available to date. The aim of the project GigClean - from which research for this article is drawn - is to address this gap. The guiding research question is: How do domestic cleaners in the informal labour market experience working in the gig economy? The methodological design consists of 15 problem‐centred interviews with platform‐based cleaning labourers in private households in Vienna, who predominantly operate in the informal economy. Our results suggest that undeclared domestic work via online plat‐forms is associated with increased power gaps between workers and clients as well as changing working conditions to the detriment of cleaners. Specifically, three recurring themes could be identified: reserve army mechanisms; lookism, objectification, and sexual harassment; and information asymmetry and control.... view less
Keywords
Vienna; digitalization; gender; labor market; occupation in the field of cleaning; domestic; social inequality; informal sector; working conditions; working woman; gender-specific factors
Classification
Sociology of Work, Industrial Sociology, Industrial Relations
Occupational Research, Occupational Sociology
Free Keywords
domestic cleaning; gig economy; household labour; informal economy; platform work; social reproduction
Document language
English
Publication Year
2023
Page/Pages
p. 262-273
Journal
Social Inclusion, 11 (2023) 4
Issue topic
Digitalization of Working Worlds and Social Inclusion
ISSN
2183-2803
Status
Published Version; peer reviewed