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“For better or worse” : domestic work and outsourced housecleaning services in Stellenbosch
Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2012.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | en_ZA |
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2012
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| _version_ | 1867613901026230272 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Du Toit, David |
| author2 | Heinecken, L. P. T. |
| author_browse | Du Toit, David Heinecken, L. P. T. |
| author_facet | Heinecken, L. P. T. Du Toit, David |
| author_sort | Du Toit, David |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/19921 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | en_ZA |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:43:30.254Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2012 |
| publishDateRange | 2012 |
| publishDateSort | 2012 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/19921 “For better or worse” : domestic work and outsourced housecleaning services in Stellenbosch Du Toit, David Heinecken, L. P. T. Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Sociology and Social Anthropology . Domestic workers -- South Africa -- Stellenbosch Housecleaning service companies -- South Africa -- Stellenbosch Dissertations -- Sociology and social anthropology Theses -- Sociology and social anthropology Household employees -- South Africa -- Stellenbosch Sociology and Social Anthropology Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In the domestic work sector, the employment relationship between employer and domestic worker has undergone various transitions over the years. The first transition saw the transformation of a characteristically abusive master-servant employment relationship into a madam-maid employment relationship. During this transition, domestic servants moved out of masters’ houses and opt for live-out and part-time working arrangements. However, this transformation did not improve domestic work much, as the employment relationship was maternalistic in nature. Various authors documented how the personal maternalistic employment was not only emotionally draining to both maid and madam, but also that maids were still prone to exploitation by madams, as domestic work was not regulated by law. This resulted in a second transition, where outsourced housecleaning service companies transformed this personal maternalistic employment relationship into a triangular employment relationship between manager, domestic employee (former domestic servant/maid/domestic worker) and client (former master/madam/employer). The triangular employment relationship creates distance between clients and domestic employees as domestic employees are under the authority and supervision of a third person (the manager/owner of housecleaning service company). In this study, these general trends are analysed with reference to the evolution of domestic work in South Africa. While there have been many studies focusing on domestic work, few studies have documented whether this transition has transformed domestic work ‘for better or worse’ with reference to the growth in housecleaning service companies in South Africa. This study attempts to fill this void by analysing managers’, domestic employees’ and clients’ perspectives of two housecleaning service companies in the Stellenbosch area. Throughout this study, every transition is discussed in terms of nature of employment, employment relationship, working conditions and benefits for both client and domestic employee. The final chapter tries to answer the question whether housecleaning service companies are ‘for better or worse’ on both micro and macro level and the need for future research in this field of academic endeavour is spelt out. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die diensverhouding tussen werkgewer en huishulp het verskeie veranderinge oor die jare ondergaan. Die eerste oorgang sien die transformasie van 'n kenmerkende beledigende meester-dienaar in ʼn Mevrou-bediende diensverhouding. Gedurende hierdie oorgang, het bediendes uit die huise van die meesters beweeg na ʼn leef-uit en deeltydse werk reëling. Hierdie transformasie het egter nie huishoudelike werk verbeter nie, omdat die diensverhouding maternalisties in aard is. Verskeie outeurs dokumenteer hoe die persoonlike maternalistiese indiensneming nie slegs emosioneel dreineerend vir beide die Mevrou en bediende is nie, maar ook dat bediendes uitgebuit is deur hul werkgewers, omdat huishoudelike werk nie deur die wet gereguleer is nie. Dit het gelei tot 'n tweede oorgang, waar uitgekontrakteerde huisskoonmaakdienste die persoonlike maternalistiese diensverhouding in ʼn driehoekige diensverhouding tussen die bestuurder, werknemer (voormalige dienaar/bediende) en die kliënt (voormalige Meester/Mevrou/werkgewer) verander. Die driehoekige werksverhouding skep afstand tussen kliënte en werknemers, omdat werknemers onder die gesag en toesig van 'n derde persoon (die bestuurder) is. In hierdie studie, word hierdie algemene tendense met betrekking tot die evolusie van betaalde huiswerk in Suid-Afrika geanaliseer. Alhoewel daar ʼn aantal hoeveelheid studies oor betaalde huiswerk gedoen is, fokus min studies of hierdie oorgang, huishoudelike werk "vir beter of slegter" verander het in terme van die groei in huisskoonmaakdienste in Suid-Afrika. Hierdie studie poog om hierdie leemte te vul deur die ontleding van bestuurders, huishoudelike werknemers en kliënte se perspektiewe van twee huisskoonmaakdienste in die Stellenboschomgewing te analiseer. Deurgaans in hierdie studie, word elke oorgang bespreek in terme van die aard van indiensneming, die diensverhouding, die werksomstandighede en voordele vir beide die kliënt en die werknemer. Die finale hoofstuk probeer die vraag antwoord of huisskoonmaakdienste huishoudelike werk "vir beter of slegter” verander het op beide die mikro en makro-vlak en die noodsaaklikheid vir toekomstige navorsing in hierdie veld van akademiese strewe word uitgespel. Masters 2012-02-24T07:26:43Z 2012-03-30T10:24:42Z 2012-02-24T07:26:43Z 2012-03-30T10:24:42Z 2012-03 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/10019/7701 http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/19921 en_ZA Stellenbosch University 133 p. application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Domestic workers -- South Africa -- Stellenbosch Housecleaning service companies -- South Africa -- Stellenbosch Dissertations -- Sociology and social anthropology Theses -- Sociology and social anthropology Household employees -- South Africa -- Stellenbosch Sociology and Social Anthropology Du Toit, David “For better or worse” : domestic work and outsourced housecleaning services in Stellenbosch |
| title | “For better or worse” : domestic work and outsourced housecleaning services in Stellenbosch |
| title_full | “For better or worse” : domestic work and outsourced housecleaning services in Stellenbosch |
| title_fullStr | “For better or worse” : domestic work and outsourced housecleaning services in Stellenbosch |
| title_full_unstemmed | “For better or worse” : domestic work and outsourced housecleaning services in Stellenbosch |
| title_short | “For better or worse” : domestic work and outsourced housecleaning services in Stellenbosch |
| title_sort | for better or worse domestic work and outsourced housecleaning services in stellenbosch |
| topic | Domestic workers -- South Africa -- Stellenbosch Housecleaning service companies -- South Africa -- Stellenbosch Dissertations -- Sociology and social anthropology Theses -- Sociology and social anthropology Household employees -- South Africa -- Stellenbosch Sociology and Social Anthropology |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/10019/7701 http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/19921 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT dutoitdavid forbetterorworsedomesticworkandoutsourcedhousecleaningservicesinstellenbosch |