The domestic worker as postcolonial subject : a policy and discourse analysis of the Canadian Government's "Caregiver Program"

Abstract

This qualitative research explores the discursive construction of the notion of temporary foreign workers, examines in what sense migrant domestic workers can be understood as postcolonial subjects, and analyzes the nature of Canada's Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) in the context of the ongoing domestic and global debate on labour migration and citizenship. The research focuses on a sub-program of the TFWP that allows eligible migrant workers to eventually apply for permanent resident status, the Caregiver Program. Using texts from major news media in Canada, federal government organizations, academics, and advocacy groups for migrant workers as raw material for analysis, the research examines various perspectives on the TFWP and the temporary status of migrant workers in Canada through the lens of postcolonial theory. Specifically, the research attempts to identify where the discourse intersects and explores in what ways key stakeholders discuss, support, or condemn the temporary status of migrant workers.