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Gendered Morality and Development Narratives: The Case of Female Labor Migration from Indonesia

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  • Carol Chan

    (Department of Anthropology, University of Pittsburgh, 3302 Wesley W. Posvar Hall, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA)

Abstract

This article discusses two dominant and contradictory representations of Indonesian female migrant workers: as national “heroes” who contribute to Indonesia’s economic development, or as exploited “victims” of labor abuse. By analyzing public statements by Indonesian state actors, news reports, and migrant activists’ websites, I argue that representations of migrants as victims do not undermine representations of migrants as heroes of development. Instead, in Indonesian public discourses about migrant women, various institutions and actors often evoke similar gendered moral assumptions of what makes a “good” or “bad” Indonesian woman and worker. These assumptions serve narratives that imply which migrant workers are heroes who deserve media attention; which migrants are unfairly abused and deserve state protection; and which migrants partly deserve their tragic fates. I term these assumptions gendered moral hierarchies , which distinguish between “tolerable” and “illegitimate” violence. Gendered moral hierarchies in representations of migrants downplay the responsibility of states and institutions for migrant safety, labor protection, and aspects of social welfare, by emphasizing individual moral responsibility and blame. More attention to gendered moral assumptions behind migrants’ narratives of development and victimhood can illuminate how they experience the risks and promises of transnational labor migration in gendered and culturally specific ways.

Suggested Citation

  • Carol Chan, 2014. "Gendered Morality and Development Narratives: The Case of Female Labor Migration from Indonesia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 6(10), pages 1-24, October.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:6:y:2014:i:10:p:6949-6972:d:40925
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Susan Thieme & Anita Ghimire, 2014. "Making Migrants Visible in Post-MDG Debates," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 6(1), pages 1-17, January.
    2. Ça?lar Özden & Maurice Schiff, 2007. "International Migration, Economic Development and Policy," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 6766, December.
    3. Carunia Mulya Firdausy, 2006. "Indonesian Labour Migration after the 1997–98 Asian Economic and Financial Crisis," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: Amarjit Kaur & Ian Metcalfe (ed.), Mobility, Labour Migration and Border Controls in Asia, chapter 7, pages 139-154, Palgrave Macmillan.
    4. Sanneke Kloppenburg & Peter Peters, 2012. "Confined Mobilities: Following Indonesian Migrant Workers on Their Way Home," Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie, Royal Dutch Geographical Society KNAG, vol. 103(5), pages 530-541, December.
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    Cited by:

    1. Mirjam Lücking & Evi Eliyanah, 2017. "Images of Authentic Muslim Selves: Gendered Moralities and Constructions of Arab Others in Contemporary Indonesia," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 6(3), pages 1-20, September.
    2. Petra Andries & Alain Daou, 2016. "Teaching Case: ViaVia Yogyakarta: Choosing the Right Strategy to Maximize Social Impact," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(1), pages 1-19, January.
    3. Anne Jerneck, 2018. "What about Gender in Climate Change? Twelve Feminist Lessons from Development," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(3), pages 1-20, February.

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    Keywords

    gender; labor; migration; development;
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