Interesting article from the South African Times.

Black domestic workers in South Africa, say they’d rather work for white madams than blacks because they believe whites pay better, and treat them more respectfully.

This is one of the findings by University of Witwatersrand sociology master’s student Xoliswa Dilata, who investigated the relationship between black employers and domestic workers in Soweto.

This should all sound familiar to you, regardless of what country you live in. It fits nicely into discussions we’ve had about how we, black people, perceive ourselves and each other – as practically inferior to whites, whether consciously or not. There’s the mistrust amongst ourselves, the so-called crabs in a barrel mentality, the general lack of interest in collective action, the class chasm and even persecution, some times a misplaced sense of entitlement, and more…

Also worth noting is that these hurdles obviously tend to be much more common in places where there is a prominent Caucasian presence.

It’s all very unfortunate, but certainly not insurmountable.

The article explains:

“Common racial backgrounds and class inequalities become some of the factors that challenge both parties.”

Difficulties in the relationship included guilt among employers and, among the domestic workers, “a sense of common blackness that makes them have expectations of the employment relationship”.

Dilata said that employers entered the relationship with “deep-seated” fear that stemmed from their need not to treat their domestic workers like their own mothers had been treated in white suburbs.

Employees also expected their black bosses to treat them differently, resulting in employers complaining that their domestic workers took them for granted and did not apply the same amount of effort as they would an employer of a different race – working harder for white or Indian employers, for example.

“We want to treat them properly like our sisters, but they see us as fools and do not work properly – but expect a full salary,” an employer told Dilata.

A Johannesburg child minder, who asked not to be named, said she would never again work for a black family.

“Blacks treat you worse than whites. You have your own sugar, your own milk powder, your own plate. When the visitors are there, they treat you well, but when the visitors leave they start from scratch (treating you badly),” she said.

“How can this person treat me like this and it’s the same colour as me?”

Louw said there was a concern among some employers that young domestic workers might steal their husbands. Dilata’s study confirmed this.

“Problems … arise when the employer feels threatened or jealous because the domestic workers are already performing most of the household duties that they, as wives, should be doing,” she said.

Some of the other concerns highlighted in Dilata’s survey included African employers paying domestic workers below the minimum wage of R1166.

“Domestic workers express a realisation that even though their employer had changed, inequality and exploitation had remained the same,” said Dilata. “This realisation often led to African employers being labelled as the worst employers because domestic workers entered the relationship with the hope that the employers would treat them differently because they were sisters.”

When I moved to New York, I lived on the Upper West Side for my first 2 years here, and I was intrigued by the abundant sight of black women (usually from countries of the Caribbean, or of Africa) pushing strollers with white babies in them. Even though I’d lived in mostly white neighborhoods in other cities I lived in, for some reason, I never noticed this “trend” until I moved to New York… not that New York is famous for this. I only became aware of it when I moved here. And I was so suddenly intrigued by what really isn’t exactly a new “phenomenon,” that I wanted to make a documentary about it.

I actually placed ads on on line, asking for any White “madames” and/or black domestic workers, willing to talk to me on camera about their individual lives, and their relationships with each other. Most responses (and there weren’t many) were concerned that my intent was to vilify the white “madames” when that wasn’t at all the case. I really just wanted to explore the matter, and do so from both sides; although, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have some bias. I wanted to produce a work that gave voice to the voiceless, but that also sought to understand the history and current reality of the matter.

In the end, my interest shifted to other ideas, and I abandoned this one. However, it’s still an idea I’d like to explore.

If anyone knows of any film currently on the market that deals with this, please let me know in the comments section below.

Read the entire article HERE.

via AFRICA IS A COUNTRY