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Assignment 10

In Global Care Crisis: A Problem of Capital, Care Chain, or Commons? by Lise Widding Isaksen, Sambasivan Uma Devi, and Arlie Russell Hochschild, the authors discuss concepts surrounding the South-North migration of women. One of these concepts is referred to as “the commons,” which can be described as somewhat of a barter system between members of a care chain. Individuals within a common provide for others within the community in exchange for something that serves as a benefit to their families.

Financial, educational, and health incentives contributed to the migration of women from their impoverished origins to more economically-stable countries. After arriving to the destination, many women were presented with opportunities to start their own businesses, obtain improved housing, and were offered competitive salaries that assisted them in funding their children’s education. Though the decision to abandon their homelands seemed well worth it in some instances, it also came with many sacrifices. Mothers were often forced to leave their own children to tend to those from another family, causing them to be stereotyped as “bad mothers” or “materialistic”.

The concept of “the commons” is necessary to comprehend the social challenges that these women face as they seek opportunities that their homelands cannot provide, as well as the challenges that their children must overcome back home. The mothers are deprived of their families and a complete maternal experience, due to the prolonged separation from her children. They work only to send money as remittances to their children. The children on the other hand are often forced to care for one another in place of their mother, or are raised by an elderly member of the family. They do not get to build intimate relationships with their mothers. This system only works to serve capitalism and its call for laborers and negatively impacts both migrants and their children.