The Careers of Migrant Domestic Workers in Greece: Perceptions of Intra-Occupational Mobility and Status Differentiation in Times of Crisis

This article examines the effects of the current recession in Greece on the careers of migrant domestic workers by tracing the changes in the way they understand their occupational and socioeconomic situation during the crisis. Through a comparative analysis, it is argued that the lack of career-track options for these domestic servants has complex ramifications that affect their perception of both themselves and their place in society. The findings indicate that the recession has triggered a negative shift in their workplace responsibilities and the tasks they are asked to perform. This study examines the qualitative aspects of their careers, highlighting a reversal in the values held by live-in and live-out domestic workers, as well as decreasing levels of discretion, intra-occupational mobility, and life expectations. Despite these changes for the worse, however, domestic workers remain deeply rooted in a framework of thought and action that only strengthens the negative tendencies of inter-occupational mobility, especially for those that cannot dissociate their self-images from the context of domestic work.