Transnational Care-work in France and in Germany: A Biographical Policy Evaluation
Author: Glaeser, Janina , Janina.glaeser@gmx.de
Department: Sociology
University: Goethe-University Frankfurt / University of Strasbourg, France
Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Ursula Apitzsch / Prof Dr. Catherine Delcroix
Year of completion: In progress
Language of dissertation: German, French, English
Keywords:
Care-work
, Migration
, Social policies
, European welfare states
Areas of Research:
Biography and Society
, Women in Society
, Political Sociology
Abstract
This bi-national dissertation is a comparative study of France and Germany, which is stipulated by a contract between the Goethe University of Frankfurt and the University of Strasbourg (“Cotutelle”). The main objective of the study is to evaluate social policies of these two nation-states using biographical research with migrant care workers who take care of small children in private households on a regular basis. The study focuses mainly on childminders. This is a crucial task given that industrialized countries are very interested in finding adequate solutions to their increasing care-deficit. European countries like France and Germany are structurally close and face similar problems such as demographic aging and the pluralization of life and work forms. However, their efforts to guarantee the (re)production of human beings themselves in a globalised and capitalized world differ remarkably. At this juncture, migrant care workers are important key actors, because they represent a significant source of careworkers. Therefore, this study will analyze how dimensions of gender, race/ethnicity and class intersect within the course of their life and which strategies they pursue by doing carework. A comparison between the European nation states France and Germany promises valuable insight into care-policies that are rising in relevance and to the current value of carework.
