Welcome to a PhD planning seminar titled Everyday borders: The case of cross-border domestic workers in the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla.

Speaker

Alba Planchart, PhD student in International Migration and Ethnic Relations, Malmö University.

Abstract

This PhD project aims to explore the bordering processes experienced by Moroccan women who cross the border with Spain daily to work as domestic workers in the enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla. Anchored in border studies and decolonial theory, this research utilises an ethnographic approach, including participant observation and semi-structured interviews with both Moroccan domestic workers and Spanish residents of the enclaves. The objective is to gain various perspectives on this borderland, rooted in the legacies of colonial occupation. By highlighting the daily experiences of cross-border workers, the research examines how social categorisations influence bordering processes.

The study seeks to understand how these women navigate and negotiate their identities and roles within a space marked by the border. By focusing on their lived experiences, the research provides a nuanced understanding of the complexities involved in cross-border movements and the everyday realities of migrant domestic workers.

This research contributes to the fields of everyday bordering and migrant domestic work. It reveals how the daily experiences of cross-border Moroccan women challenge the legitimacy and permeability of borders in Ceuta and Melilla. It highlights the agency of these women as they confront and adapt to the challenges posed by their unique circumstances. Ultimately, it aims to illustrate the interaction between intersecting categories and bordering practices within a context profoundly shaped by colonialism.

Attendance

This is a hybrid seminar, you are welcome to connect via Zoom or join us at MIM seminar room, floor 9, Niagara, Nordenskiöldsgatan 1. To attend on campus, please gather by the reception area at 13.05.
If you have any questions, send an email to mim@mau.se.

Zoom

Link will be available closer to the seminar date.

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