PhD research humanises domestic work and redefines its societal value

Power in domestic work isn’t only about race, new research suggests.

The study, Unravelling the Dynamics of Power in the Employer-Domestic Worker Relations in Contemporary South Africa, KwaZulu-Natal: Praxis-Oriented Research, found it’s about social status, class and internalised oppression.

“Several domestic workers said their worst experiences were with black employers,” said Dr Thobeka Ntini-Makununika, who graduated from the University of KwaZulu-Natal on Tuesday. Her PhD study researched the power relations between employers and domestic workers in SA, a dynamic that continues to be deeply shaped by colonial, patriarchal and racialised histories.

Ntini-Makununika offered an example. “Some employers clearly stated for themselves ‘I start work at 7.30am and finish at 4pm’, but were vague or dismissive when asked about their workers’ hours. It signalled a devaluation of their employees’ time,” she said.

Domestic workers often branded themselves as powerless, internalising marginalisation.

“However, through dialogue, many began recognising their agency, from subtle boundary-setting to overt acts of defiance. Employers, too, revealed moments of vulnerability and moved towards mutual understanding. The binary of 'powerful employer' versus 'powerless worker' started to unravel,” she said.

Her research also comes from a place of lived experience.

“I was raised by black African women who survived through domestic work. For seven years, from 13 years old, I worked part-time for white families and in holiday resorts. I experienced first-hand the quiet suffering, the layered dignity and the complex dependencies in the relationships,” she said.

Through her research, Ntini-Makununika aimed to humanise domestic work, redefine its societal value and inspire reflection and action.

“It’s a call to reconsider whose labour we honour, whose voices we centre and what justice truly looks like.

“We need a shift in values. Grounding policy and practice in ubuntu can help affirm the humanity and dignity of domestic workers.

“Until we value the hands that clean our homes and raise our children as much as those that govern boardrooms, we will never dismantle the inequality woven into the fabric of our daily lives. Domestic work is work. Let us ensure it is decent work.”

Ntini-Makununika believes her doctoral journey was a personal act of healing and a powerful scholarly contribution.

“I wasn’t writing only for academic study. I was writing for the daughters of domestic workers who may one day read my work.”

Field work took an emotional toll on her.

“Listening to stories of unpaid dismissals and racial microaggressions was hard. Sometimes I had to pause and process my own memories. But witnessing moments of awakening, for workers and employers, was powerful.”

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