They treat me like I am not a person: Contextualising identity work amongst domestic workers

Orientation: Domestic workers constitute a vulnerable workforce and one from which we can further our understanding of marginalised gender identities at work. Moreover, they represent an understudied context for exploring work identity. Research purpose: This article explored the work identity of domestic workers in South Africa with a particular focus on the multiple contexts in which they develop and maintain a sense of identity. Motivation for the study: The aim of the study was to increase our understanding of the role of context in the development, regulation and negotiation of work identity in a non-managerial sample. Research approach/design and method: Using a multiple case study design, in-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with six domestic workers, to explore their identity negotiation in context. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Main findings: We combined extant understandings of work identity and context to examine domestic work identity in the relation to the contexts and multiple identities involved in its construction and negotiation. We identified three contexts in which identity-related sense-making occurs – the job, the employment context and the broader national societal context. Within these contexts, we pinpoint multiple social identities the participants develop and negotiate. Practical/managerial implications: These findings can guide policy makers in regulating the domestic worker employment sphere. Contribution/value-add: We have developed a nested model of identity contexts to illustrate the complexity and interrelatedness of domestic worker’s identity work which can serve as a basis for understanding other forms of contextual identity work.