Breaking out of the ‘prisoner of love’ dilemma: Infrastructures of solidarity for live-in care workers in Switzerland

Schilliger, Sarah Berit (2024). Breaking out of the ‘prisoner of love’ dilemma: Infrastructures of solidarity for live-in care workers in Switzerland. In: Schwiter, Karin; Aulenbacher, Brigitte; Lutz, Helma (eds.) Care for Sale. The Transnational Brokering of Senior Care in Europe. (pp. 278-292). SAGE Publications

Text Schilliger_2024_Solidarity_Care_Workers.pdf - Published Version Restricted to registered users only Available under License Publisher holds Copyright. Download (4MB)

In this chapter, I take the situation of live-in care workers in Switzerland as a starting point to explore the conditions under which collective forms of claiming rights and self-organization can become possible. I therefore examine practices of solidarity, relationships and the transfer of knowledge (for instance, concerning rights) in specific spaces in Switzerland. To analyse the convergence of practices of solidarity, I propose the concept of an ‘infrastructure of solidarity’ (Schilliger, 2020) and highlight four components that are key to the examined concept: a) spatial configurations and the creation of counter-spaces, b) political practices of solidarity work and alliance building, c) the formation of (often invisible) solidarity-based relations and care practices in everyday life, and d) mental infrastructures, that is, the sharing of knowledge and the production of collective awareness. This concept provides a way of exploring how practices of solidarity may become sedimented in time and space, and how broader relationships, networks and alliances with civil society actors, social movements and institutions can be built. Thus, my theoretically informed empirical analysis tries to identify elements and conditions for successful solidarity and collective action in the field of transnational care work in private households. It contributes to a better understanding of how unions and activists can draw on existing forms of solidarity and community to potentially adjust or start their organizing and campaigning work within this sector.

Interest & Impact

Downloads

4 since deposited on 31 Mar 2023
4 in the past 12 months

Citations

5 Citations in Web of Science ®
6 Citations in Scopus

Search

in Google Scholar™

Services

Actions (login required)

Edit item

Actions (login required)

Edit item