"A Labour of Love?" Informal Eldercare Work and Domestic Space in Contemporary Croatia Cover Image

"A Labour of Love?" Informal Eldercare Work and Domestic Space in Contemporary Croatia
"A Labour of Love?" Informal Eldercare Work and Domestic Space in Contemporary Croatia

Author(s): Duga Mavrinac
Subject(s): Anthropology, Cultural Anthropology / Ethnology
Published by: Hrvatsko etnološko društvo
Keywords: domestic work; elderly care; live-in care assistant; domestic space; everyday challenges

Summary/Abstract: In recent years, domestic work has become the centre of many scientific studies. Still, in most cases, disregarding its specific aspects and features, domestic work is displayed as a homogeneous category. In contrast, by observing daily activities and narrations of the live-in eldercare workers, specific working conditions, dispositional attitudes, duties and obligations are disclosed. The article suggests that in order to fully comprehend the extent of the eldercare work it is equally important to place the research where care work is located – within the domestic space. Hence, only by entering the deepest void of this work, space for exploitation, struggle and invisibility can be reduced to a minimum.

  • Issue Year: 45/2015
  • Issue No: 38
  • Page Range: 86-96
  • Page Count: 11
  • Language: English