The Significance of Working Among Women Workers in Contracted Home Industry of Factory

Abstract

In Indonesian society, sex-based working distribution strengthens patriarchy status which has developed for ages, so that women are constructed to work in domestic sector, being marginalized, and subordinated. The development of woman studies, such as gender studies, has given a new color for women. Facing family financial problem urges them to work, such as to work in domestic sector, as the most suitable choice regarding their education and economic background. The phenomena among women workers in home industrial who do not get appreciation regarding their productivity, never has an opportunity in bargaining process, since all aspects are determined by their employers. When the demand of work increases, the women workers will struggle to fulfill the target as much as they can, so that they can get proper wages based on their ‘’targeted’’ works that they have done, which automatically they will get high wages, since the faster they finish their work, the higher they receive wages.This qualitative research aimed to understand the significance of working among women who worked in contracted home industry of factory. The informants of this research were housewives who took job of convection business from collectors which were done at home. Bulak Surabaya was used as social setting of this research. Purposive technique was used to determine the informants, which was consisted of technique of primary and secondary  data collection, technique of data analysis which was based on answer analysis, statements, and explanations from research subjects that later be identified until the researcher found specific description from each subject based on their experiences and characters. Interactionism perspective of Symbol and Gender was used in this research.From this research, it could be concluded that the existence of women workers in contracted home industry of factory in taking role to earn money was  their responsibility toward their family prosperity and also to strengthen family position, explore self-potency in managing family finance, use their right to deliver their thoughts, so that women workers have their bargaining power by taking part to make decision in their family, having free right to speak about their opinion, their opinions being listened and strategic settlement for family business. Nevertheless, it could be concluded that the concept of breadwinner which was merely attached to men in daily lives (based on this research) was not proven true.

Keywords : The Significance of Women Workers, Bread Winner