Comparing Caragata and Quintero-Ramirez

Canadian vs. Mexican Women

Feminization of Labour (Canada) & Feminization of Poverty (Mexico)

• Caragata (2003): gendered and differential benefits; labour force changes; marginalization; retrenching welfare state; commodification of social roles.

• Quintero-Ramirez (2002): capital mobility; flexible work & vulnerable for firing; feminization of poverty

Caragata: Concepts and themes

• Globalization’s influences on economy Low wages and high unemployment are paralyzing the global economy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Gad5RmCeKI 13.09 min

• Impact: costs/benefits

• Women, racialization, class inequality

• Canadian society: Welfare state, social welfare of W. Europe, social citizenship and public sphere

Quintero-Ramirez: Concepts and themes

• NDL: capital mobility

• Export processing zones (EPZ) in Mexico

• Deindustrialization in Core countries

• Precarious industrialization in DW

Caragata: P I: Theoretical issues:

• Globalization led to neo-conservatism

• Marginalization of women and the disadvantaged

• Privileged vs. racialized and immigrants

• Neoliberalism and cut back on social programmes

• Austerity in budget vs. public need

• Market rules - The State is reduced

• Income disparity and economic marginalization of groups

Caragata: Substantive issues:

• Women’s work under trade agreements: FTA & NAFTA

• Economic crisis in some industries (such as textiles and clothing)

• Historical conditions (e.g. migrant work in the manufacturing industry)

• Effects of NAFTA on migrant women workers in Canada.

Caragata:Massive changes in Labour force after FT agreements (1980s on)• High % of workers in low-paid jobs • Double the percentage of Women cf. to Men• 20% Increase in Part-time or temp jobs in the 1990s

(3wmn to 1 man)• Women: Involuntary Part-time; shift work; multiple

jobs, on call work• 1997: 20% women workers full-time/year jobs with

$30,000/yr• Poverty line in 1997 was C$ 28,175

• Walmart http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJIUc7w5aYE 10min

Wal-Mart :The High Cost of Low Prices (Part 4 of 11)

Caragata: Labour force restructuring continued:• Most women PT workers were below poverty line• Telework as deskilling-strip away elements of jobs that

can be digitized for Productivity gains• Narrowly specialized and become less relevant for any

other skilled job• Women carry greater burden of work at home and home-

based production• Women doing shadowork: bill paying, house work, child

care- essential work that supports the continuation of the wage labour for production to go on.

• Instead of such issues being in the public for examination and redress, it has become a woman’s responsibility and hidden away in the private household.

Caragata:• Gendered, racialized and class reinforcing economic patternshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mKZ7PBfCXA 3.36 min Shit Canadians say to Aboriginal Women

• Immigrant women among workers

• Impact on the women and families

• Limiting of family allowance with child tax benefits

• Unemployment insurance program limited entitlements and benefits

• Unemployed without EI nearly doubles in 5 yrs (1989-94)

• Impact on the public sphere: hospital get limited funding

• Decline of families in middle class range of earnings

Quintero-Ramirez• Mexico: maquiladora - high economic

importance and value of maquiladoras in Mexican manufacturing

• But, poor treatment of women workers as commodities in the labour part of the value chain

Quintero-Ramirez• Trade Agreements: FTA (1989) NAFTA (1994)

• Globalization And Women: More acute capitalistic competitiveness among the 3 countries

• Capital mobility to find cheap labour costs for different stages of production ( value chains)- out sourcing and offshoring of parts manufacturing

Reorganization of production • EPZs in DW

• Deregulation of workplace- multitasking , flex-working hours

• Service industries – easy to reorganize and use more women

• precarious work

• Natural talent of women – surplus labour• MNCs use Fexible labour – part-time and temp workers

• Feminization of the work force – increase of women’s participation

Quintero-Ramirez

• Canada: 1970s and 80s: Financial stabilization and IMF structural adjustment policies

• Conservatives in power: Cut down old age security, family allowance, and unemployment insurance

• Since 1986, Cutbacks in federal transfers to the provinces for postsecondary education and health care begun in 1986 were accelerated

• Global recession, high interest rates and inflation led to bankruptcies

Quintero-Ramirez• FTA: manufacturing ( half a mil) jobs lost in Canada• Hierarchical & centrally controlled manufacturers and retailers

due to restructuring of industrial production – name-brands- led to subcontracting to domestic Canadian producers

• 1989-1991: 23% in garment industries – most working women affected – most immigrants in such low paid or temp jobs

• Domestic industries lost to MNCs• Downsizing led to loss of union jobs & unions dwindled in

strength and number• Most women lost their precarious jobs permanently or their wages

declined• Less full-time workers

Quintero-Ramirez• Growth of industries – Maquiladoras – Govt pushed for

strong economic growth – not for workers• 1980s: Import Substitution Industrialization policies • !986: FTA- Export Oriented Production policies – domestic

industries had low success• Border Industrialization emerged stronger – Tax-free• Textile maquiladoras were strong in mid and south of Mexico

due to low wages – but moved away to Central America where wages became cheaper

Tijuana: City of Work & Maquiladoras (Part 1) 2010 7.31 minhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qA9BLyplhJwTijuana: City of Work & Maquiladoras (Part 2 of 2) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3AXMs0DUZc 5.33 minMaquiladora Photo Essay 2007http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sqkle7w8uTw 8.37 min

Quintero-Ramirez• 1970s: women Maquiladora workers

about 100%

• 1991: 60%

• In 2000: 55.2 % unskilled in the maquiladoras were women

• Men accepted low wage work

• Informal discrimination against women in more advanced manufacturing