Study of Work and Family Among Black Female Domestic Servants, 1989-1991

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship of work and family among Black women who were employed as private household workers for a major portion of their working lives. This study focuses on the strategies these women use to manage work, family and the interpersonal relationships involved in each. It also examines the ways women conceptualize and experience social structural factors such as race, class, poverty, and a low status occupation. The participants were American born women, interviewed between the ages of 60 and 81, who worked as private household workers in New York or Philadelphia for most of their working lives. All participants had raised their own children during their years of employment and had worked in domestic service for at least ten years. The Murray Archive holds original record paper transcripts of the in-depth qualitative life history interviews of 26 Black female domestic servants, and audiotapes of the interviews. If you would like to access this material, please apply to use the data. Audio Data Availability Note: This study contains audio data that have been digitized. There are 82 audio files available