El sentido del trabajo en mujeres privadas de libertad en Chile

Abstract

This paper explores the relation between gender, work and imprisonment by problematizing the various ways in which women seek to integrate into the labour market. We analyse the case of women inmate in Chile who have been convicted of micro trafficking. The methodology is based on 30 semi-structured interviews with women prisoners in Santiago in 2013. We explore their work trajectories and their definitions of work. The study visualizes the situation of marginalized women in multiple dimensions, showing how their illegal activities and their social position (re)produce and challenge the social order. The study illustrates the standardization of modern work by highlighting atypical forms of labour participation, and problematizes ways in which women try to integrate themselves under flexible capitalism.