FOREWORD Before embarking on the full report of this project, it seems important to mention that the past two years represent an important journey period for myself, both personally and professionally. Coming from an already experienced, traditional graphic design background and having been in some way dissatisfied or limited by the typical corporate graphic design arena, it felt necessary to explore a new direction within my working practice. Alongside this urge to find a new approach within my professional work, I have long admired and hoped to become more involved in the persuit of working for the benefit of society and people around me. This year has helped to open my eyes and introduce me to the world of Social Design practice. This project seeks to represent my attempts in learning to navigate this new area of design and experiment with its methodology. It also reflects the way my attitude towards my future career has developed and gained new meaning and direction.
LIFE WITH ANA
Growing up with my parents in Mexico City in a large family of six brothers and sisters, we also had another important member of our household. Ana Maria is a woman who migrated from a small rural town in Mexico to find work in the city. She would see us to school, cook our meals, play with us, look after us whenever our parents were busy. Ever present and an integral part of our daily lives, it is impossible to imagine family life without her in the picture. Close friends of ours will often ask about her as they would ask for any other other member of our household. In some sense it is the truth that everyone on our house considers her to be a part of the family. However, the reality of the situation is that when Ana is with us, she is actually at work, and this is a very important point to respect.
In Mexico there are around two million people who work in a similar context as Ana Maria. Employed within domestic households, as carers for children or the elderly, as cleaners, cooks, or for washing and ironing or gardening, among other tasks. They are most commonly employed on a cash in hand basis and as part of the informal economy. Although naturally each case is a different one, on the whole their stories regularly resound with important similarities and for many of these workers the lack of recognition that their industry receives poses many challenges.
THERE ARE 53 MILLION DOMESTIC WORKERS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD AND 83% OF THEM ARE WOMEN. An interest that began with personal experience and an awareness of an issue in my own country has led me to an exploration of the subject of Domestic Work within a more worldwide context. Though the industry itself is more prevalent in some parts of the world than others, it is consistently seen in many countries (to varying degrees) including here in the UK. Naturally depending upon where the workforce is based, the individual challenges that political and social climates of different countries present can vary. However there are also many core recurring issues faced by the domestic working community the world over.
CONTEXT
According to the International Labour Organization there are more than 53 million domestic workers throughout the world and 83% of them are women. In spite of the vast population of this workforce, it is a sector that is often both overlooked and discriminated against by society and the law.
1 IN EVERY 25 WOMEN WORKERS WORLDWIDE IS A DOMESTIC WORKER A common misperception of the domestic working industry is the manner in which it is often seen as a kind of second class employment. an unskilled and undermined job. An interest that began with my personal experiences in my own country has led me to begin researching the problem on a more worldwide perspective, and I have found there to be similar issues and common factors when addressing the industry throughout many countries across the globe. Finding it a more common practice in some parts of the world than others, though consistently seen in many countries (to varying degrees) including the UK. In many cases, domestic workers are migrants, existing either within their home nation or in foreign countries. Commonly forced to migrate in search of better economic opportunities. This context can often give rise to issues of isolation and extreme vulnerability brought by the challenge of encountering language barriers and the lack of support networks.
Latin America & Caribbean
Asia
41%
37%
Eastern Europe & CIS
Africa 10% Advanced countries
1%
Middle East
7%
4%
Male
17%
Female
83%
Domestic workers across the world: global and regional statistics and the extent of legal protection / International Labour Office Geneva: ILO, 2013
AS A RESULT OF THE LACK OF RECOGNITION THAT THE INDUSTRY RECEIVES, THE NAME “INVISIBLE WORKFORCE” IS OFTEN USED TO DESCRIBE THE WORKING COMMUNITY GAPS IN LEGAL PROTECTION The demand for domestic work is growing due to shifting social dynamics such as more and more women working outside the home, and cuts to public benefits such as public child care or care for the elderly. Never the less, domestic work is rarely recognized as a profession by society, and in most countries it is also unrecognised by law.
WORLDWIDE ONLY 10% OF THIS WORKFORCE BENEFIT FROM THE SAME LABOUR PROTECTION AS OTHER WORKERS. Frequently inferior standards are applied and in many countries domestic workers are excluded from legal regulations all together. Domestic Workers: Size, Contributions And Challenges | WIEGO". Wiego.org.
BLURRED EMOTIONAL BOUNDARIES & BIASES FACED BY DOMESTIC WORK “DOMESTIC WORK IS “WOMEN’S WORK”
“PART OF THE FAMILY”
“STEREOTYPES”
LIMITED AWARENESS OF EXISTING LAW AMONGST EMPLOYERS AND WORKERS According to WIEGO (Women in Informal Employment: Globalizing and Organizing), in some countries where protective law covers domestic work, it is frequently ignored by employers and not enforced by authority. Even in countries where domestic workers enjoy labour rights, domestic workers continue to face decent work deficits due to the challenges in compliance. Estimates based on available data suggest that domestic workers typically earn less than half of average wages.
THE MOVEMENT
There are thousands of domestic workers around the world organising and campaigning to be recognized as any other type of worker, fighting for the entitlement to workers rights and benefits. Independent organisations are present on a global scale and many already actively seek to work together to increase their effectivity. Though progress can be seen as slow, important significant changes have begun taking place. As a result of pressure, some legislation reforms have been instigated in several countries, allowing more benefits for domestic workers. A landmark treaty took place in 2011, where the International Labour Conference adopted the Domestic Workers’ Convention No. 189. that sets the first international standards for the treatment of domestic workers. So far this legislation has changed policies in 23 countries and many others are pressing their governments to also ratify it. Inspired by “The Social Design Methods Menu” by Lucy Kimbell and Joe Julier Photograph Courtesy the National Domestic Workers Alliance
PROJECTS AROUND THE WORLD
Spreading knowledge of the rights of domestic workers by using posters and brochures
Spreading knowledge of the rights of domestic workers to both employers and employees
Academic books, reports and networks
Projects in collaboration with the arts Films and animations
Attention from the media
FOCUS ON ORGANISATIONS An inspiring breadth of work that helps to highlight many of the difficult issues faced by the community is currently already taking place. However, it is important to mention many of the issues faced by this so called 'invisible workforce' are rooted in age old cultural ideologies that relate to major issues such as sexism, racism, class culture and wealth divides. Rather than dive head on into a project that attempts to tackle these large issues directly, at this point the decision was made to scale the project towards the the work of these existing organisations themselves.
LINKING DESIGN THINKING WITH THE SUBJECT OF DOMESTIC WORK Witnessing the range and diversity of both the challenges faced by the workforce and the large number of support and campaign groups already working internationally, It is clear that within this environment lies great opportunity to explore creative practice in relation to this subject. By hoping to find new ways as a designer to develop and amplify some of this valuable work, I saw potential to help make a contribution to the goal of lasting change.
CREATING A PROJECT STRUCTURE This map was created as a calculated and structured model for the project. It considers the process of investigating the subject further, developing notions for designable outcomes, testing and evaluating these ideas and finally developing them into an end product. By looking at the project as a cycle and aiming to repeat this in order to gain more understanding of the subject and put what is learned back into the process, the overall goal was to refine the outcome further and place final emphasis of the project on the process itself.
PROJECT JOURNEY MAP
FRAME INVISIBILITY OF DOMESTIC WORKERS: personal experience as family member and employer in Mexcio books, articles, internet
RE-FRAME
Initial enquiries: emotions rights knowledge of rights
EXPLORATION WHY IS IT KNOWN AS INVISIBLE WORK? context in the other parts of the world and specifically in the UK
WHAT PARTS OF THE PROJECT HAVE CHANGED OR REQUIRE ATTENTION?
getting in touch with individuals/groups involved What other issues are being ignored? Open to find unexpected things Lerning from others first hand
EVALUATION MAKING SENSE WHAT KIND OF FEEDBACK DID I GET? Are there unexpected results? What needs to be fixed?
HOW HAVE MY INITIAL VIEWS CHANGED? WHAT CAN WE MAKE VISIBLE?
IDEATION
Are there new questions?
What unexpected knowledge was found? HOW BEST TO CREATE, USE AND TEST INTERVENTIONS?
What is most relevant? What kind of interventions or experiments can we start making?
Where to share them? What resources can I use? What message do I need to get across?
Inspired by “The Social Design Methods Menu” by Lucy Kimbell and Joe Julier
FRAMING THE ISSUE ‘INVISIBILITY’ OF DOMESTIC WORKERS: Further exploration of the active international community of organised domestic workers to help the project to gain a more defined scope of intention and focus. Attempting to gain a better idea of the different strategies employed by organisations when choosing to focus on each of the three main areas of interest mentioned before: Policy, Biases and Awareness.
EXPLORATION THROUGH IMMERSION IMMERSING DIRECTLY WITHIN THE COMMUNITY By placing the emphasis of the project strategy on a person centered approach, stories, experiences, and first hand opinions offer highly effective way to gain insights that are otherwise difficult to encounter through more traditional design methods. Being placed within this environment provides a great position from which to explore the processes of co-designing and prototyping with everyone involved. The first point of contact within the domestic working community are the people and organisations already involved in the campaigning for change, there is an existing network here that creates a doorway to the community at large. By making contact and building trust, anomalies in the everyday practices of these groups can be used, redefined and amplified. Small changes can be instigated, that can potentially grow towards something bigger.
MAKING SENSE
IDEATION
CONTINUAL QUESTIONING OF THE PROJECT LEARNINGS By creating reliable documentation of the experiences during the exploratory work of the project and mapping their results for analysis, the project's investigation can be to be assessed. These findings are then become important inspiration and support for new ideas.
CAREFUL CONSIDERATION OF WHAT HAS BEEN LEARNED AND THE PLAYING WITH IDEAS IN RESPONSE TO THIS NEW EXPERIENCE By working together with the people involved in the exploration of the subject, a clearer picture of the context in which new ideas can be tried and tested can be created, and a great environment for prototyping is present.
EVALUATION AND RE-FRAMING EXAMINING THE RESULTS OF TESTING TO DECIDE WHAT HAS WORKED AND WHAT HASN'T Using the conclusion of this process to affect the original framing of the problem and decide wether this should be adjusted. Again by keeping the community of those involved in the project at the centre of this process, an increased level of new learning can be developed for everyone.
THROUGHOUT THE PROJECT JOURNEY AN EMPHASIS ON THESE PRINCIPLES HAS BEEN AN IMPORTANT REFERENCE: A PERSON CENTERED APPROACH A PROCESS DRIVEN PRACTICE A FOCUS ON BUILDING TRUST AND EMPATHY A CO- DESIGNED OUTCOME
EXPLORATION THROUGH IMMERSION
IN THE UK
MEETING JUSTICE FOR DOMESTIC WORKERS Here in London I found two existing organisations providing support and mobilizing campaign efforts for the domestic working community in the UK. One such organisation is Justice for Domestic Workers. They are a self funded, worker led group, that meet every Sunday. I made contact with them in January this year and began what has now developed into an important collaborative relationship. I quickly found a way to connect with them on a working basis by offering my services as a graphic designer for a charity event. Establishing my relationship with them through a working project was an effective way to begin learning about how the organization works, who were the key members, and hear about some of the activities they undertake. During the following months I spent a lot of the time observing, attending their events, conducting interviews with members, leaders and tutors and eventually taking steps to begin some exercises with the group to explore issues that I found to be prevalent.
A meeting with Marissa Begonia, J4DW coordinator and Roman Berry, Mind & Wellness tutor.
FIGHTER
talented
mother
happy A SOLDIER FOR THE FAMILY SOMETIMES HELPFUL SOMETIMES MONSTER! sister HELPFUL
friendly
STRONG
faithful
PROTECTOR guardian of family
WE ARE HERE TO SACRIFICE FOR FAMILY
FRAGILE LOVING MOTHER
produce family to grow
fashionable First exercises using role play with group members.
flexible!
auntie
SACRIFICE
The group take part in various classes and sessions some of which are organised as one off events in colaboration with external organisations and others they run every week with regular tutors. The Mind and Wellness Workshop run by director Roman Berry, explores personal development mainly through drama. This class formed a great place to start when beginning to explore variations of the methods and processes I had planned to do with the members. I quickly learned that more traditional workshop practices with post it notes and charts werent exciting and engaging enough for a group who really enjoyed relaxing on their one day off. So instead we began experimenting with role play and games in order to create ‘personas’ and to gather insights to later make mappings. Researching Time. How do you spend it?
Workshop: International Woman’s Day. “How would you describe a woman to a martian?”
Researching outreach methods. Facebook posts created with the organization members.
EXPLORATION THROUGH IMMERSION
IN MEXICO In March I travelled to Mexico for a month and made contact with the a number of orgnanizations and and individuals campaigning and developing support work for the domestic working community across the country. I took the opportunity to introduce myself at an event they were holding in the Mexican parliament.
Despite the difference between these core campaigns for policy change, the struggles faced by the communties they represent are in many ways very similar.
MY ALREADY ESTABLISHED CONNECTION WITH J4DW HERE IN THE UK FORMED A USEFUL POINT OF COMMON GROUND AND THEY WERE INTERESTED TO DISCUSS THEIR OWN WORK. They eventually granted me time for two interviews enabling me to explain further the kind of research I had been beginning to conduct in London. I also gained the valuable opportunity to hear first hand from other international group leaders about the challenges faced when campaigning in their context. Discussing the similarities and differences between the campaign work they are conducting and that of the work I had witnessed here in the UK was an interesting experience. In Mexico much of the emphasis is placed on the fight to be recognised by the Labour Federal Law in order to have the same benefits as any other worker (legal contracts, social care and benefits) . In the UK the main lobbying is directed towards immigration law reform to restore the overseas domestic workers visa and the right to change employer,
“Home Fair Home” Inauguration at the Mexican Parliament (Interactive exhibition regarding Domestic Workers struggles)
SIMILAR STRUGGLES MIGRANT DOMESTIC WORKERS NECESSITY FOR INCOME IS SO DESPERATE AND THEIR HOME LIVING CONDITIONS SO BAD THAT THEY SETTLE FOR VERY LOW WORKING STANDARDS. EMPLOYERS CAN OFTEN MISTAKENLY FEEL THEY ARE BEING CHARITABLE BY OFFERING WORK TO SOMEONE IN NEED EVEN IF CONDITIONS OF WORK ARE UNFAIR.
OFTEN A LACK OF RECOGNITION AND VALUE FOR THE PROFESSION IS EVIDENT WITHIN BOTH THE EMPLOYER AND EMPLOYEE COMMUNITIES AND THIS SEEMS APPARENT IN BOTH COUNTRIES. LACK OF WRITTEN CONTRACT BETWEEN EMPLOYER AND EMPLOYEE, NOR ESTABLISHED HOURS. (OVERWORK) UNAWARENESS OF THE EXISTANCE OF SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS AND UNIONS BY EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYEES
UNAWARENESS OF THE EXISTENCE OF SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS AND UNIONS BY EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYEES THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE EXISTENCE OF SUCH GROUPS DOESN’T NECESSARILY MEAN THAT DOMESTIC WORKERS WANT TO BE PART OF THEM
EMPLOYER’S VOICE During my time in Mexico I also conducted a series of interviews with employers of domestic workers, I approached a cross section of different ages, to find out if there are ways they have noticed a change within the workforce over the years and also to examine their awareness of current support groups, activism, and existing regulations and their potential future development.
employers over 50 “I’ve had a domestic worker all my life, I depend on them” “My cleaner is like family” “They are in danger of extinction, nobody wants to do that job anymore”
“If they regularize the profession, we would expect a professional work standard”
“Things have changed, domestic workers are now more picky and informed”
“No, we don’t have a contract but we understand each other well”
employers under 30 “I think we shouldn’t mix work with affection. I am not best friends with my boss, it’s better to have distance to respect the work ....”
“Although we don’t have a written contract I do respect our verbal agreements and work load” “I’have tried to suscribe her to health bennefits but there are no legal ways to do it” “Having a Domestic Worker is a luxury, thanks to her I have more time to work and take care of my kids ” “I do have a kind of contract that I created myself”
VENICE SYMPOSIUM
ACADEMIA + HUMAN EXPERIENCE
In June I travelled to Venice to the Interanational Symposim for Domestic Work. An event where different academics, researchers, and organisational representatives meet to discuss and put forward the case for the current projects and strategies. I was keen to go to the event for a number of reasons. Principally, I wanted to see how the work of J4DW could be viewed in a different and international context. Marissa Begonia, the chairperson of J4DW presented a case for the organisation and some of my research in regard to strengths and challenges faced by the group was discussed. Many of the discussions were highly academic and it was a great opportunity to witness how leaders of organizations of domestic workers participated alongside analysts and scholars by bringing storytelling and first hand human experience to the group. I also wanted to place myself within this context as a designer and creative, looking to collaborate. I was able to meet again with some of the group representatives I had met earlier in the year in Mexico I really enjoyed meeting and making personal contact with some of the important figures I had already spent time reading about during my project. Despite the symposium being an interesting chance to network and observe, I also noted that there was little interest from group members in respect to the event and its relevance. I recorded a Facebook live video for the rest of the group during the J4DW presentation and noted very few group members were viewing. I also felt that after returning from the event and chatting on the following Sunday, that few were very aware of what had been taking place.
Marissa and Nerissa gave their talk, and also a surprise performance which nobody was expecting. It was Nerissa’s first international event.
Marcelina and Marissa, leaders of the London and Mexican Organizations respectevely meet!
MAKING SENSE OF THE EXPERIENCE SO FAR
UNDERSTANDING J4DW
After a 6 month process of interaction, observation and immersion, spending time building trust and developing close contact with various key stakeholders within the group I then moved into the process of building a case study around the organisation of Justice for Domestic Workers. I AIMED SPECIFICALLY TO EXPLORE THEIR METHODS IN BOTH CAMPAIGNING FOR THEIR CAUSE AND THEIR APPROACH TO DIRECTLY HELPING THOSE WHO ARE STRUGGLING WITHIN THE LOCAL COMMUNITY. As already mentioned, a variety of exploratory work included conducting interviews and exercises with group members, managers and board members, together with regularly attending organised events and demonstrations, collaborations with workshops and witnessing first hand the development of political lobbying strategies. I then spent time analysing the documentation of this work, mapping and discussing the functionality of the organisation with its members to develop a model of its structure. This model is now intended as reference for the organisation as they seek to break down their strengths and weaknesses and develop new strategies for positive development and change in the future.
WHAT IS J4DW? SELF-HELP GROUP RUN BY & FOR DOMESTIC WORKERS
CAMPAIGN
ADVOCACY
MOBILIZATION FOR RIGHTS AND WELFARE IN THE UK change in people’s lives
ORGANIZING
+
SUPPORT
THROUGH EDUCATION & TRAINING
A TOOL / PREPARATION
IT COMPUTER CLASS LIFE IN THE UK TEST & PRACTICE
FOR DOMESTIC WORKERS IN NEED
MIND & WELLNESS WORKSHOP ENGLISH LITERACY EMPLOYMENT & IMMIGRATION SURGERY *it is informal, it is there when they are needed, tutors need to adjust to that
MOBILIZATION MARCHES PUBLIC SPEAKING PERFORMANCES CAMPAIGNS
Mapping J4DW description as an organization. What do they do? Main objctives?
rescue /shelter
A PLACE TO LEARN A CONFIDENCE BOOSTER DEVELOP PERSONAL SKILLS /QUALITIES COMMUNICATION PRACTICE “there is life after beeing a domestic worker”
+
FUNDRAISING & SOCIALISING SOCIAL CENTER/ OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES not only for raising money, but also for DW to be able to integrate with locals, encourage them to look after themselves, to be more able to support their families
I then spent time analysing the documentation of this work, mapping and discussing the functionality of the organisation with its members to develop a model of its structure. This model is now intended as reference for the organisation as they seek to break down their strengths and weaknesses and develop new strategies for positive development and change in the future. I found the exercise of mapping the organisation really helpful in clarifying my understanding of a complex group dynamic. It was also interesting to view the response from group members who were involved in the mapping. I found on the whole that people agreed with the concepts we highlighted but struggled to agree on the order or relevance or importance of different aspects of the group. It certainly helped them to see the connections between their own work visualized, and the mapping itself was used in the presentation given by J4DW at Venice Symposium in June.
HOW CAN J4DW... ACHIEVE AND PROVE EVIDENCE OF TRAINING? PUBLIC SPEAKING, PERFORMANCES, CAMPAIGNS
MONITOR SURVEYS GATHER DATA
ENGAGE THE EMPLOYER?
Support from the employer is needed, when DW need to go to Parliament, attend campaigns, marches, etc. How can employer, employee find a way of working with agencies
KEEP MEMBERS INTERESTED / MAINTAIN CONTINUITY IN CLASSES?
WHAT DO MEMBERS FEEL PERSONALY? STRESS
too much worry and concern. a need positve strength
LONELINESS
hard to adapt to new country. Farfrom family
GUILT Looking after someone elses family, whilst far from their own
FEAR WHILST BEING UNDOCUMENTED
GIVE AN INTRODUCTION / INDUCTION PROCEDURE TO NEW MEMBERS?
GIVE TESTIMONIES WITHOUT RE-VICTIMIZING RAISE VISIBILITY OF THE INDIVIDUALS NOT THE SOCIAL ISSUE CHANGE THE GROUP´S IMAGE FROM THE RUNAWAY DW TO THE PRIDE AND IMPORTANCE OF THE PROFESSION
Mapping J4DW challenges and opportunities for change
PRIDE OF BEING A DOMESTIC WORKER LOVE MY JOB NOBEL JOB HAPPY TO PROVIDE FOR FAMILY IN NEED POSITIVE IMPACT OF BEING AN INFLUENCE ON OTHER PEOPLE´S LIVES (CHOLDREN)
Mapping some of the emotions from J4DW members
FIRST IDEATION
THOUGHTS INSPIRED BY THE WORK SO FAR In response to the usability of the mapping of the organisation which helped to highlight strengths and challenges faced, a list of possible avenues to work with became more clearly apparent: How can the group help encourage members to continue coming regularly and want to stay involved ? In what further ways could group members develop individual roles of responsibility and act as more functional spokespeople for the organization? How can more group members begin to lead and control workshops and activities to have further important support for Marissa, to expand in other areas outside London? (There is a J4DW in Leeds but they are currently struggling to get together) Can more domestic workers become involved from other nationalities to broaden the racial spectrum and make the group bigger and stronger? In turn how would they know they be welcomed and not feel the group is only for Philipino workers? How to highlight the benefits of the workshops, events and Sunday activities to both group members and people outwith the organisation to gain more funding?
At this point I arranged a to conduct a one to one workshop with a social care strategist who has experience in developing programs specifically catered towards organisational change. It was very helpful in breaking down what could so far be concluded from the research I had made. Hearing a fresh professional opinion helped me to see the work I had already done from a new perspective.
THE DRAWERS / TOOLKIT After considering my breakdown of the working practice of J4DW and with the previous series of questions in mind, My first idea was to explore the notion of creating an organizational development system.
A package that would contain tools for existing organizations or people seeking to mobilize, inspired by the learnings from J4DW. THE CORE AIMS OF THIS SYSTEM WOULD ALLOW GROUPS TO: ANALYSE the work they are already doing BREAK DOWN their process See the areas of potential of NEW DEVELOPMENT that exist within their current working practice AMPLIFY their work and their understanding of its worth. Help people CATEGORISE the kinds of work that their organisation is undertaking Inspire NEW APPROACHES TO EXISTING AREAS OF FOCUS Place a strong emphasis on the idea of CREATING AN ARCHIVE OF SUCCESSES so as to build a clear picture of the beneficial activity that the group is involved in
This so called 'toolkit' would be marketed as a product/package available to organisations worldwide working in relation to the subject of Domestic Work. The concept was to be built around three different angles within an organization and I sketched the concept of these as drawers: These 'Drawers' would then have useful practice based 'tools' within them. These would be displayed as models for client organisations to study, develop, utilize and learn from. Where an orgainisation was already conducting the use of one of these tools, the system would be there to encourage them to analyse and document its use in a more conscious way. A further idea was to have the system function as a useful database with examples of the use of its tools and accounts of their experiences. Example stories/accounts of those using the tools within existing organisations and how they have helped will allow for a clear understanding of the benefits and relevance of their use, perhaps in the form of video diaries or testimonials. Each tool would aim to explore a practice that pushes the group members to gain greater responsibility and importance of role within the organisation promoting self development. I discussed the possibility of developing the proposal of the system with one of board of directors from J4DW. She seemed very interested and mentioned that showing the plan to the rest of the board and perhaps piloting some of the various tool ideas as prototypes could be very feasible. The logical next step would be to conceive a detailed plan for some of the different tool ideas and test them.
ORGANISATIONAL DEVELOPMENT SYSTEM AIMED FOR: Groups working in support of domestic workers.
A package that can help existing organisations or those seeking to create new ones.
TOOLS EXAMPLES PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
THE CATEGORIES (Drawers)
Daytrips, Teambuilding Classes, Circles of Support
ORGANISATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Citizens Jury, Blog for Social Reform, Induction Procedures
CAMPAINING AND POLICY CHANGE
Interactive Map, Live Web Chats, List of Contacts
SECOND IDEATION
SCALING DOWN THE IDEA The issue I quickly faced with this overall concept was that the process of devising of the system and the scale of its potential development seemed very large, It also felt somewhat disconnected from the women themselves in the sense of its final outcome. I was unsure if group members would really connect with the idea of what I was trying to achieve and to me the overall idea felt too analytical and a bit cold. I also felt that each tool could almost be a project in its own right. With so many required to be developed and tested to qualify the overall effectiveness of the design, I found the scale of the idea was ambitious for the timeframe I had. Rethinking and addressing the original issues seemed a necessary next step. SIMPLIFYING THE SCOPE AND SCALING DOWN THE IDEA, I DECIDED TO MAKE A PROPOSAL WHERE THE CORE VALUE: PERSONAL, ORGANIZATIONAL, AND CAMPAIGN AND POLICY OF THE SYSTEM COULD REMAIN BUT EXPERIMENT WITH THIS ON A SMALLER SCALE. I WANTED TO KEEP THESE THEMES IN MIND AND EXPLORE: THE NOTION OF CO DESIGNING
thinking about what could be created as an integral product of group activity
WORK ON SOMETHING TANGIBLE
to be able to test it
TO HAVE MORE INTERACTION AT HUMAN LEVEL
to play with ideas as a group
A MOVE TOWARDS CAMPAIGNING Reflecting on my thoughts regarding my initial idea, I went back to looking closeley at what I had found important throughout my observation of the organisation. As mentioned before I still felt it was key to refer to the three themes that were apparent in their work:
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT ORGANISATIONAL DEVELOPMENT CAMPAIGN AND POLICY CHANGE Though the boundary lines shifted a great deal in the group dynamic with crossover between the work conducted within these three areas, two strong sources of energy were evident within the group during much of the activity they undertake.
TWO FORMS OF ENERGY IN THE GROUP EXISTING CAMPAIGN DRIVE
THE VOICE OF THE ORGANISATION AND OFFICIAL CAMPAIGN MESSAGE.
Appears to come from a smaller select few members who occupy roles of responsibility in the group. This source of drive handles: Official publicity Outward campaign communication Decision making and formal mobilization of the J4DW message It drives all of the organisational development work aiming to build on and improve what they have already.
POSITIVE SOCIAL ATMOSPHERE TTHE ENERGY THAT SURROUNDS THE WIDER GROUP COMMUNITY.
A distinct difference was clear between the two when looking at the sense of positive community formed by the number of group members and attendees to the sunday sessions of activities such as The Mind and Wellness workshops, together with the atmosphere that surrounds their group events and excursions. Many members have little time off, less opportunity for social life and are separated by great distance from their families. This side of the groups support system brings obvious enjoyment to their lives and creates a powerful sense of energy and positivity. Everyone involved is obviously having a great time and keen to share the experience with others.
I became interested in developing a way to harness the energy found within J4DW's social and personal community where so much enthusiasm is evident. In short it seemed to be the case that a significant number of group members prefer or are more naturally involved with this side of the organisation than the other activism. Some senior members had also stated that it was a common challenge to get commitment from the group into campaign action. This presented the question:
HOW TO PUT THESE TWO SIDES TOGETHER, AND DEVELOP THE COMBINATION AS A CAMPAIGN TOOL? I figured perhaps there is a way to have a message more indirectly driven by this side of the group community and share it with a wider audience.
When they are having a great time members love to post about it on social media. Group photos are a 'must' of the usual Sunday afternoon proceedings and selfie sticks are a common sight. By observing the way in they like to post and share information in response to the fun of group activities this posed an opportunity for development. I had noted that despite this regular social media activity no posts carried any form of campaign message. On the limited channels of the organisation's official FB and Twitter accounts, few members have the ability to actually post and others appear not to feel as though its their position to do so. The sheer amount of social media activity in this sense also suggests that there is a much wider net based community at large who could be hearing their message.
DEVISING A NEW CAMPAIGN METHOD I DECIDED THAT EXPLORING THE CREATION OF A NEW CAMPAIGN MESSAGE WAS THE RIGHT WAY FORWARD FOR THE PROJECT. I WANTED THIS TO BE SOMETHING THAT COULD BE DEVISED IN CLOSE COLLABORATION WITH THE GROUP MEMBERS. IT WAS IMPORTANT TO ME THAT ANY MESSAGE WE CREATED CAME THROUGH THEIR OWN THOUGHTS AND OPINIONS. I hoped the campaign could evolve through their own group activities, and that it would be associated with the social side of the group. It was important to spend time working on the message when the group were at their most energetic and positive. I also wanted any campaign development to be beneficial for the individuals and for the organization simultaniuosly My intention was that they may want to continue what we started, idependently, perhaps through sharing messages and documentation on social media.
FUN + CAMPAIGNING
Outreach was an apparent issue for the organisation and most stated that people discover their existence through social media and word of mouth. It also seems clear that due to the large amount of social network activity within the group there is an extensive and readily available wider audience available to receive campaign messages. Here there was both opportunity for the organisation to grow and develop whilst simultaneously communicating a message of value to active members and those out-with. My next step was to embark on the development of a series of workshops made in collaboration with the mind and wellness group at J4DW. During the classes members enjoy singing, dancing and group discussion. It is is one of the most popular aspects of the organisation and forms a great way to reach the majority of members when they are at their most positive and energised. I had already seen how valuable the work of the class was, and the way it really helped with personal development so it seemed a great starting point. Roman, the class director was very receptive to new ideas and keen to collaborate and develop his program.
+ SOCIAL MEDIA + MOBILES
THE WORKSHOP PROGRAM
During four Sundays in collaboration with the Mind and Wellness workshop we designed and created four workshops.
RESPECT AND RECOGNITION TRUST AND HONESTY
THE OVERARCHING INTENTION WAS TO CREATE A NEW CAMPAIGN THAT CAME FROM THE STORIES AND OPINIONS OF THE LADIES FROM J4DW. As a starting point we chose the personal worth of individuals and the the value of work in general as a topic. I hoped that we could explore the concept of professionalisation within domestic work through looking at what work really meant to the participants. I aimed to discuss what the value of good work means to them, How they feel their profession is perceived and the kind of struggles and achievements they have, both personal and professional. By breaking down the value of working practice into four themes we were able to brainstorm, exercise ideas and pre-plan the workshop structures to have an outline to work from.
SENSE OF PLAY
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ENCOURAGE SHARING
COMMUNICATION AND COOPERATION SAFETY AND SECURITY Each session focused on exploring one one of these four themes through the mediums of experimental games, song, dance, group discussion and writing. Importantly, the initial plan was to place emphasis on self documentation and promotion from the behalf of the participants hoping to encourage the already prevalent facebook posting that is popular on Sunday afternoons. We wanted to keep things simple, fun and in a sense of play, in order to take advantage of the positive energy and not lose attention.
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SIMPLE AND FAMILIAR
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FUN
WORTH OF WORK WORKSHOPS PROTOTYPING A NEW CAMPAIGN MESSAGE
#WORTHOFWORK workshop 1
PERSONAL& PROFESSIONAL WORTH
THE INITIAL WORKSHOP WAS DESIGNED TO FIRST FOCUS ON THE VALUE OF EACH PARTICIPANT AS A PERSON AND THEN MOVE ON TO DISCUSS THE IDEA OF PROFESSIONAL WORTH. We began with exercises to explore self worth and recognition. Each participant was asked to write, draw or map, the places where they have worked, the languages they speak, what is it that they love to do, family members, years they have worked, etc. It was inspiring and interesting to listen to their different personal stories, some outside from their current professional position, and to listen to what they are proud of. The group dynamic also came into view with different members taking hold of different roles as language barriers were overcome and other group members needed encouragement. People found new things out about each other and the group members began to open up when talking about their lives. A new found hair dresser, a very talented story teller, quite a few people very interested in sports. Many languages learnt through travelling and work. Motherhood came as a very important part of what they value and are proud of, as the majority support children back home.
Can you lick your elbow?
Do you like hugging people?
Are you scared of the dark?
TELL YOUR STORY DO YOU HAVE children? How many?
Have you ever won a prize?
How many years have you worked? What languages do you speak?
Where have you travelled? Do you play a sport? What is IT that you are very good at?
VALUE OF GOOD WORK We then moved on to explore the value of work by using role play. Participants were given a scenario to act out, that included different types of professionals working well in their jobs. They were asked to improvise the scene as a team. These included acting as a good policeman, teacher and doctor in a situation where they would have to solve a problem in the work environment. The important thing for us was that we created a role play scenario that they enjoyed that was carefully themed but free to improvise. Group members responded well to the fun aspects of roleplay. However, whenever not actively involved attention strayed from the activity.
The police officer showed good skills of communication. Respectful and in control to solve a heated argument.
The teacher was understanding and patient with a student who struggled with her homework.
Empathetic Doctor with nervous patient. Use of eye contact, soft voice and listening skills.
Afterwards we discusssed as a group what qualities each character had shown and the way in which these related to the group members own work experiences and their own preconceptions of what makes good work. During our discussion we wrote down key words and reviewed what we had created. Words such as TRUST, HONESTY, UNDERSTANDING, VALUE, RESPECT, LOYALTY, LEADERSHIP came up. Also, interestingly words such as OBEDIENCE and AUTHORITY.
In conclusion to the workshop, we came back to the principle of campaign awareness. We discussed as a group how some of these ideas regarding the value of work might be able to be shared. The idea of a hashtag to represent the workshop quickly came up in conversation. Summarising the theme of professional value and what makes good work, we came up with the tagline: #worthofwork We talked more about the importance of a hashtag as a way to communicate in different social media and used a frame simulating instagram. Everyone took pictures and we tried to encourage people to post what we had done. Though we actively discussed trying to post the pictures and share the experience no real evidence was seen in the following week of socal network posting from group members.
#WORTHOFWORK workshop 2
A PART OF THE FAMILY & DOMESTIC WORKER SEEKS EMPLOYER
The first point of investigation for the second workshop was to examine the common phrase used by employers refering to domestic workers as “part of the family” How do workers live with and experience that perception? Is there anything positive or negative about this? Again using role play in groups, this time we asked them to create a scene showing their idea of a family dynamic outside the context of work. After discussing their scenes and the group discussed what they felt they signified. Then we asked them to repeat the exercise, only this time groups were challenged to depict what a family looks like with a domestic worker in the scene. An interesting observation from the exercise was that subtle problems faced by the workers were often depicted without some of the group members necessarily recognising them as issues to be concerned about. The way they played workers as unseen elements in the picture, ignored by employers, unthanked and with little rest. There seemed to be difference of opinion and perceptions of what could be or not accepted as good behaviour. It seemed as a good attempt towards exploring the boundaries of emotions, work and respect.
WHAT IS FAMILY TO YOU? shhh!
FAMILY AT CHURCH / mother trying to control children / father doesn’t seem to take active role towards kid’s dicipline
swimming playing
FAMILY AT THE PARK / happy / public bonding No specific roles that can be identified
combing hair
FAMILY IN HOUSE / mother and a nanny are helping to get the children ready to leave/ father is impacient to go but not helping
HOW DOES A FAMILY WITH A DOMESTIC WORKER LOOKS LIKE Mother son and domestic worker in the bus
“The only person not sitting down is the nanny!”
“They may seem they are part of the family but What is given to the nanny is the leftover”
“But the employer is not being rude or sarcastic”
FAMILY DINNER
“LOOKING FOR NANNY WHO WILL OFFER LOTS OF LOVE AND CUDDLES” We showed various real job adverts looking for a domestic worker, we discussed how trust was one common quality that employers often looked for in a worker. Of the adverts we showed we asked group members to say which ones they thought sounded attractive and discuss why. The mayority of participants chose adverts that included both housekeeping and babysitting. Some comments where made about the salary being low, no clear tasks described, demanding that babysitting should be payed as extra and not included with housekeeping. They would prefer places where food was supplied for as well as accommodation. Also a comment came up quite often: “Even though the salary is good, the important thing for me is to be treated like family, it is very hard to take care of babies, if you love your job, nothing is hard, but the important thing is to have respect.”
We then reversed the situation and asked participants to write their own advert seeking an ideal employer.
DOMESTIC WORKER LOOKING FOR EMPLOYER
WRITE YOUR ADVERT!
This exercise was very interesting, even though there was no role play activity, the topic triggered conversation, concentration and a lot of participation between participants. There where people who stressed more about their rights as workers and had good knowledge of certain details. There was a moment which caused controversy as one of the ladies described her ideal job as one where she could have 15 minutes for break during the day, many did not agree at all as they would ask for up to two hours.
The priorities in common and differences of opinion regarding what they expected from an ideal employer were very interesting. An important thing to note was that in nearly all of their ads they wanted to be treated as part of the family. It seemed important to consider wether those seeking to be treated as a part of the family were really simply seeking respect. This is an important observation, as one of the mantras for profesionalisation of domestic work is not to forget that even though they work so close to the family, they are workers, and need to be respected as such. Throughout the workshop one group member published a facebook live post of the activity, though looking later at the activity of the group on Facebook I noted very little of the sharing we had hoped would now be popular was taking place at all. This surprised me since the workshop was highly energetic, with more than 20 participants and many ideas were discussed as well as plenty of pictures taken. Although they did post them on Facebook, there was still no use of the hashtag #worthofwork.
#WORTHOFWORK workshop 3
COMMUNICATION CO-OPERATION & SHARING
We realized that maybe they didn’t know how to hashtag. So we did an explanation of the importance of how to use one from a technical point of view. It went down well and much more activity was seen afterwards. The same afternoon the IT class conducted a full tutorial regarding technical sharing on different social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter
SHARING TO J4DW ARCHIVE
Eventually we began to see active hashtagging and sharing of group activities!
TEAM WORK!
The idea of this exercise was to explore the importance of communication and cooperation in teamwork. Each team had to get from one end of the room to the other with the balloons between themselves without using the arms or hands. They had to plan a strategy as a team.
VALUE OF COMMUNICATION
This exercise was a good warm up for the following exercise where each member had to discuss between them how they would solve an issue at work, where communication is important when there is a situation of conflict or misunderstanding. It was also a good oportunity to take pictures an practice the hashtagging.
#WORTHOFWORK workshop 3
RESPECT
“WE DESERVE WHAT WE GIVE” What is it you give that deserves respect? Words like, time, dedication, honesty, passion and trust came up again. This time no hashtaging was encouraged and some of the ladies did it anyway, including Marissa the J4DW coordinator, but even more encouraging it is that some started hashtagging on their posts from other events.
“The most important thing is not about being a domestic worker iTs about changing children’s lives to be better people someday for me that’s the most important thing”
DEVELOPING AN IDEA
We... EXPLORE. Breaking down the value of good working practice. We... COLLABORATE. Working together to find new ways to campaign. We... DISCUSS. Talking about our experiences. We... UNDERSTAND. Learning from our actions. We... SHARE. Telling the world about what we do.
#worthofwork
Work in progress is the title of a new initiative designed and created within Justice for Domestic Workers. It has been conceived on the basis of the findings of my recent collaboration with the organization. The initiative seeks to explore the importance of understanding the value of good work as its main objective. It helps develop the individual perspective of every group member to a better informed output regarding what every worker should expect from their work. Its aim is to help raise the expectations of employees while continuing to meet expectations of employers. Based on an established collaboration with the Mind and Wellness program, the aim for the initiative is to continue with this work and develop further collaborations within all of the classes and workshops within the J4DW program. We actively encourage the sharing of what we learn and explore, through any medium. Our ethos is to create a message to the world that shows we know what work is worth. By encouraging participants to share what they do, we contribute to the collective voice of the J4DW organisation and help encourage group members and their peers to have the voice to speak out. The project places the power of campaigning more readily in the hands of all of those involved within the organisation. At the centre of the initiative is an emphasis on hashtag culture that helps build a living archive of our own activity for others to connect with and witness the work of the group. We help members identify with the organisation's cause by allowing their own experiences and opinions to shape our campaign messages, our aim is to innovate through our awareness of simultaneous personal and organisational development.
REFLECTING ON WORK IN PROGRESS
Concluding on the Work In Progress initiative, it is important to consider how its proposal relates to the picture of the domestic working industry within this project. Early on when I began to establish my relationship with J4DW, I was taken aback by the sensational nature of some of the press surrounding their work with ‘runaway’ migrant domestic workers. I had initially expected to find a closed and secretive group who wouldn't be keen to share their work with anyone who might threaten the identity of the vulnerable workers that they help. Naturally I was surprised to find such an open and welcoming environment. However as I became more familiar with their work I began to realise that often, the focus on these cases of maltreatment and injustice associated with modern slavery, takes a front seat in their campaigning as it gets more public attention, has likely more effect in politics and improves their chances of securing more funding. In light of this, and also for the fact that the group themselves class themselves as a workers rights organisation who also feel it is important to campaign with a positive message, I wanted to focus on another form of campaign work that steered clear of this kind of publicity. However, I did feel I had left behind one of the major important issues faced by migrant domestic working community at large. Interestingly when I now consider the potential future developments for the Work In Progress initiative, my attention is drawn to the International Slavery Commissioner Sir Kevin Hyland. Cases of modern slavery associated with migrant domestic work pose a real problem, and here in the UK there is a system in place to help those who are treated badly to come forward. The trouble is that this process is run by customs and border control and many migrant workers are afraid to talk for fear of being deported. To assist with this, The ISC is currently developing an independent agency to target and intercept migrant domestic workers and offer them support as soon as they arrive in the country. The next step for Work In Progress and a move that would definitely take the work beyond local organisational level would be to forward the initiative as a proposal for a development program within this project. They are looking to develop a more effective platform for domestic workers to speak out, have a voice and be more aware of the rights and wrongs associated with their working conditions. All of which aligns with the work of the Work In Progress initiative.
OVERALL PERSONAL THOUGHTS
Learning to apply design thinking towards a social issue has been a complex, challenging and rewarding task. The first important observation for me is to recognise just how much time was required for narrowing down a specific area of my research into a focused brief. The project was so wide ranging and diverse in issues that at times finding my way was very difficult. After making contact with the organisation, it was a continual challenge to attend their regular meetings without knowing exactly what my project was aiming to achieve. Later it became clear that this time is essential, not only for observation, but also in order to build the trust and familiarity necessary to gain genuine understanding of the challenges that a functioning organisation can face. Additionally, right up until the week of our last workshop, I was still discovering new insights that could potentially reframe the whole project focus! The satisfying side to this experience is that it qualifies the original plan I created for a project structure. It proves the principle of process focused practice in social design to be a very relevant one. Working with people on a pressured and time restricted project was also an eye opener. The overall experience with the organisation was a very positive one and I am pleased to have met such a welcoming and trusting group of people who were willing to share their time with me. The collaborations I worked on with Roman (Mind and Wellness tutor) were a great experience, we worked together on ideas that were very important and he made time for me in his own schedule for which I am especially grateful. He was also a real help during large group exercises, putting people at ease and encouraging participation. Working with a busy organisation with many variables does however have its challenges and on a number of occaisions I had to reschedule my plans to fit with other events. This made life a little unpredictable. I also found that for all that I felt very welcome, there were times when I wished I had known more of what was going on and it seemed some people were unaware of things I would have been interested in. The organisation are currently embarking on a large scale rework of their image, moving to qualify as a charity that can apply for funding. They intend to change their name removing the word Justice and changing to 'the voice of domestic workers'. Another leaning towards a more positive sense of campaigning which I found encouraging. Now that the project is finished I fully intend to present my work as open source to the organisation and have already shared much of my video documentation and research with them for their own use. I hope to meet with the board of directors and present what I have now concluded in the hope that in some way the work can continue to be of use in the future.
REFERENCE LIST Anderson, Bridget. Doing The Dirty Work?. 1st ed. New York: Zed Books, 2000. Brody, David. Housekeeping By Design. 1st ed. 2016 Brown, T. (2008). Design thinking. Harvard Business Review Cox, Rosie. "Invisible Labour: Perceptions Of Paid Domestic Work In London". Journal of Occupational Science 4.2 (1997): 62-67. Web. 27 Feb. 2017. Convention And Recommendation Concerning Decent Work For Domestic Workers. International Labour Review 150.3-4 (2011): 439-454. Web. Durin, Séverine, María Eugenia de la O, and Santiago Bastos. Trabajadoras En La Sombra. 1st ed. 2015 Digital Storytelling for Social Impact, Hatthaway Communications,2015 www.slideshare.net/RockefellerFound/digital-storytelling-for-social-impact Fullerton, B. Co-creation in service design. Interaction 2009 Gutiérrez Rodríguez, Encarnación. Migration, Domestic Work And Affect. 1st ed. New York: Routledge, 2010 Kimbell, L. Designing for Service as One Way of Designing Services, International Journal of Design 2011 Manzini, Ezio. Design, When Everybody Designs. 1st ed. Cambridge (Mass.): The MIT press, 2015. Shea, Andrew, William Drenttel, and Ellen Lupton. Designing For Social Change. 1st ed. New York, N.Y.: Princeton Architectural Press, 2012 Solomon, Robert C and Fernando Flores. Building Trust In Business, Politics, Relationships, And Life. 1st ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 2001 Special thanks to everyone at Justice for Domestic Workers, for making this project a possibility.