Maid to Order in Hong Kong: An Ethnography of Filipina Workers

by Nicole Constable

Book Overview

Middle-class Chinese women in the global city of Hong Kong have entered the workforce in unprecedented numbers over the past three decades, and the demand for foreign domestic workers has soared. A... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0801483824
• ISBN13: 9780801483820
• Release Date: January 1997
• Publisher: Cornell University Press
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Accurate and Interesting Study

Personal knowledge of this topic allows me to say this book is excellent...interesting and the truth. A great work!

Eye-Opening

A devastating critique of the capitalist world system, an anthropological study drawn from first-hand case studies, statistics, and the theoretical works of Gramsci, Bourdieu, and Foucault among others. Absolutely compelling reading.

Maids' Lives Unveiled

A fascinating window into the lives of Filipina domestic workers in Hong Kong. Details the many facets of exploitation, abuse and discrimination experienced by these maids. A fine balance between portraying maids as victims as well as agents in their own right, adopting a rather Foucauldian theme of discipline or oppression begetting resistance. Constable's work shuns naive generalizations of maids as passive victims (as many other works have), although I felt that domestic workers' acts of resistance and agency could be interrogated in greater scope and detail. Also provides a well-rounded picture by examining the geopolitics that give rise to demand and supply of domestic workers in Asia and Hong Kong in particular. A thorough and well-researched book synthesizing themes of race, class and gender!

Well written, thoughtful study on a little known topic

Let me begin by confessing my bias. I met Dr. Constable at a book signing and have since maintained a warm e-mail friendship. Having said that, I think any one who is interested in the culture of the Philippines, the culture of Hong Kong, the Filipino Diaspora, or the multi-variate roles of women in the emerging cultures of Asia will find a great deal of interesting material, conveyed thoughtfully and with sensitivity.