Self-surveillance practices of factory women migrant workers receiving SRH interventions in Malaysia: The effects of salience, gendered subjectivity and universalism

Article


Freeman, T., Miles, L. and Ying, K. 2024. Self-surveillance practices of factory women migrant workers receiving SRH interventions in Malaysia: The effects of salience, gendered subjectivity and universalism. Economic and Industrial Democracy. https://doi.org/10.1177/0143831X231225098
TypeArticle
TitleSelf-surveillance practices of factory women migrant workers receiving SRH interventions in Malaysia: The effects of salience, gendered subjectivity and universalism
AuthorsFreeman, T., Miles, L. and Ying, K.
Abstract

Managing sexual and reproductive health (SRH) needs remains a challenge for many women migrant workers in developing countries. Nonetheless, the extent to which they can be supported in meeting these needs remains underexplored, with implications for worker health and working life. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with 25 factory women migrant workers in Penang, Malaysia, we apply a Foucauldian lens of governmentality to explore directly their agency in managing their SRH. We consider the self-surveillance practices they adopt in response to a programme of SRH interventions. Our findings reveal varied degrees of compliance with programme expectations. We demonstrate empirically the importance of the perceived salience of SRH as a motive force in self-surveillance practices, drawing out the disempowering effects of self-consciousness and shame in gendered subjectivity. We further consider the impact of universalist prescriptions for SRH within locales in the developing world, and the implications for SRH interventions with factory women migrant workers in such settings.

KeywordsGovernmentality; self-surveillance; SRH; women migrant workers
Sustainable Development Goals3 Good health and well-being
5 Gender equality
10 Reduced inequalities
Middlesex University ThemeHealth & Wellbeing
Research GroupDiversity and Gender group
PublisherSAGE Publications
British Sociological Association
JournalEconomic and Industrial Democracy
ISSN0143-831X
Electronic1461-7099
Publication dates
Online31 Jan 2024
Publication process dates
Accepted19 Dec 2023
Deposited03 Jan 2024
Output statusIn press
Publisher's version
License
File Access Level
Open
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1177/0143831X231225098
Web of Science identifierWOS:001154466700001
LanguageEnglish
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