Conditional Love and Canada's Care Regime

Abstract

Following a shift in gendered norms during the latter half of the 20th century, domestic work, and the Canadian Care Regime more generally, has become a sector dominated by migrant women. As migrants, these women lack basic protections by either state involved, making them one of the most vulnerable populations even in developed countries, such as Canada. This paper addresses this precarious reality by undertaking a critical discussion of Canadian public policy. Through a historical lens, it will show how laws and social practices enforced by the state have institutionalized gendered and racial discourses that assign statuses of inferiority to particular groups, specifically that of migrant women. In examining government documents, newspapers, and immigrant novels to outline the evolution of care work in Canada, the paper will demonstrate how the Canadian state, through its political, social and economic practices, continues to reproduce the subservient and exclusionary position of migrant domestic workers for its own benefit.