Migration and precarious work: Understanding the intersection between social categories

ABSTRACT

Brazil has received a significant influx of immigrants from the Global South, largely composed of women who are part of precarious work networks. The aim was to reflect on the precariousness of work in the context of South-South migration, considering the intersection between gender, raceethnicity and social class in determining subalternity and inequities. Reflective and argumentative essay structured around two cores of meaning: i) conceptual review, which recovers definitions from seminal works and ii) critical analysis of articles selected for their relevance and current status in the field of migration and feminist studies. The results revealed that the precariousness of these women’s work is not restricted to an economic issue but reflects historical and structural inequalities deeply marked by intersectionalities that reinforce cycles of marginalization and inequality. Xenophobia, racism and sexism act in conjunction with social class to create and perpetuate subalternity and inequities both at work and in life. Intersectional approach is powerful for understanding multiple oppressions that perpetuate the exploitation of immigrant women in the context of South-South migration in Brazil.

KEYWORDS
Job market; Gender studies; Human migration; Social class; Intersectional framework.