Fighting under the blanket : the cultural politics of Indonesian domestic workers in Hong Kong

Abstract

This thesis explores the cultural politics surrounding Indonesian domestic workers in Hong Kong who face exploitation in the context of international migration. Existing studies suggest that Indonesian domestic workers are particularly vulnerable to various forms of exploitation upon arrival in Hong Kong. However, these studies tend to reinforce racial stereotypes by portraying Indonesian women as submissive, obedient, and naïve, while neglecting other forms of exploitation such as the suppression of sexuality. Drawing on a Foucauldian approach, this research aims to explore the mechanisms through which power operates within society, specifically through the biopower and governmentalities of sending and receiving states. It analyzes the discourses, institutions, and practices that shape and regulate the experiences and bodies of Indonesian domestic workers in Hong Kong. Furthermore, this research seeks to articulate the ways in which Indonesian domestic workers respond to exploitation through culturally specific strategies of resistance, transgression, acceptance, and the formulation of counter-discourses. By examining their migratory trajectories, the study aims to shed light on how these workers challenge the perceived economic logic and patriarchal gendered assumptions imposed upon them. The findings of this thesis suggest that migration acts as a site for Indonesian domestic workers to question, dispute, and challenge the dominant norms. By transgressing societal boundaries and constructing alternative discourses, they defy the accepted norms of feminine morality and refuse to conform to the knowledge entrenched in the discourses that confine their bodies.