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Geographies of bodily (dis)possession: domestic work, unfreedom, and spirit possessions in Singapore

Author

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  • Antona, Laura

Abstract

Singapore’s labor-migration regime has come under much scrutiny for the ways in which it unequally positions employers vis-à-vis their migrant “workers.” One domestic worker, Rosamie, described the work permit she was issued as a “curse,” as it bound her to her employers as property, leaving her vulnerable to exploitation and violence. Drawing on ethnographic research, this article argues that multiscalar geographies of bodily (dis)possession are produced by Singapore’s labor-migration regime, which shape migrant domestic workers’ everyday lives. By engaging directly with the concepts of possession and dispossession, this article reveals the ways in which migrant domestic workers are themselves rendered bodily possessions in Singapore; with the state, employers, employment agencies, nongovernmental organizations, and ghosts all involved in creating this dynamic. Indeed, as I demonstrate, the permanence, freedoms, and authority of both employers and (shelter-based) ghosts stood in stark contrast to the disposability, unfreedom, and powerlessness that domestic workers (particularly those residing in shelters) often experienced and felt. I also explain how domestic workers’ lack of autonomy and bodily (dis)possession was (re)produced at different geographic scales: within the nation, individual dwelling spaces, and the body.

Suggested Citation

  • Antona, Laura, 2024. "Geographies of bodily (dis)possession: domestic work, unfreedom, and spirit possessions in Singapore," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 121458, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
  • Handle: RePEc:ehl:lserod:121458
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    File URL: http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/121458/
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Miles Kenney-Lazar, 2018. "Governing Dispossession: Relational Land Grabbing in Laos," Annals of the American Association of Geographers, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 108(3), pages 679-694, May.
    2. Louis Moreno & Hyun Bang Shin, 2018. "Introduction: The urban process under planetary accumulation by dispossession," City, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 22(1), pages 78-87, January.
    3. Mona Domosh, 2017. "Genealogies of Race, Gender, and Place," Annals of the American Association of Geographers, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 107(3), pages 765-778, May.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    (dis)possession; bodies; domestic work; spirit possessions; unfreedom;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • R14 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Land Use Patterns
    • J01 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - General - - - Labor Economics: General

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