Social Representations and Discourses Around Domestic Work: Who Remembers the Precarious Migrant Workers?

This study, based on the theory of social representations, analyzes discourses surrounding domestic and care work in Spain, identifying which aspects are acknowledged and which are ignored. Specifically, the research aims to explore how Spanish society includes or excludes immigrant women in its representation of domestic work. Through semantic analysis (IRaMuTeQ, Descending Hierarchical Classification) and a quasi-representative sample (N=1200), the study examines the discursive classes that emerge among the population and the ideological and sociodemographic profiles that reproduce these discourses.

Class 1 describes the work as "exhausting and sacrificial," highlighting the effort required. Class 2 adopts a critical perspective, emphasizing precariousness, the feminization of labor, and the essential role of immigrant workers; this view is typical among young feminists with egalitarian values. Class 3 focuses on the needs of dependent people (children and the elderly) but overlooks the caregivers' working conditions. Class 4, more common among older conservative women, sees domestic work as monotonous and does not question its precarious nature or the gender implications involved. Class 5 emphasizes emotional well-being and reinforces traditional gender roles, a view significant among men of higher social status.

The results are discussed within the framework of the Protestant work ethic ideology and discourses that render precariousness invisible.The results indicate that gender, age, and social and ideological values influence perceptions of domestic and care work. Only a specific profile—young feminists—directly addresses the precaious situation of immigrant workers. The study discusses the need to promote critical discourses to foster cultural change toward dignified work and an inclusive approach that integrates the rights of both dependents and their caregivers.