Ladies at Work: Global Politics of Care, Kinship, and Affect

Why are some forms of work valued more than others? When did people start believing entrepreneurs and innovators when they say, we should “Do What You Love”? Is work life separate from life at home and with friends? This class will journey across global care chains, drawing on feminist writings and ethnographic texts to examine conditions structuring middle class housework in the U.S., garment manufacturing in Sri Lankan factories, call center work in the Philippines, and elite startup innovations in India. Engaging questions of class, race, gender, and heterosexuality, we will learn about forms of feminized work and consider more just alternatives. 3 hrs. sem.