Paper Short Abstract:

Taking drawing as an epistemology on its own (Jain, 2021) this (ethno)graphic article/presentation explores (1) the geographies of vulnerability of Filipino domestic workers within - and beyond- Hong Kong; (2) the role of the gendered migrant body in the urban fabric; and (3) their vernacular modes of dwelling and resisting. This visual work is the result of the assemblage of (1) Fieldwork drawings [the root], (2) Analytical drawings [the core] and (3) Complementary drawings [the context] which allows for exploring their full analytic, metaphoric and atmospheric-favored potential as a tool in academic research.

Paper Abstract:

Since the 1970s Hong Kong has been a primary destination for Filipino female migrants, however, despite decades of organized collective struggle the so-called foreign domestic helpers remain largely exposed to tough living and working conditions. These women are forced by law to live with their employers, increasing their vulnerability and having to work very long working hours. Moreover, most of them do not have a bedroom or private space in the house. As a result, on their day off, they all go out driving to an intensive occupation of the public space across the city.

Based on a twelve-months multimodal ethnography and taking drawing as an epistemology on its own (Jain, 2021) this (ethno)graphic article/presentation explores (1) the (physical and symbolic) power (dis)continuities between the public and private spheres, serving to sketch geographies of vulnerability within - and beyond- HK; (2) the role of the gendered migrant body in the urban fabric; and (3) Filipino women’s vernacular modes of dwelling and resisting in Hong Kong.

Although unified in terms of style the proposed visual work is the result of the assemblage of different types of drawings, including: (1) Fieldwork drawing [the root], (2) Analytical drawing [the core] and (3) Complementary drawings [the context]. In the whole this (ethno)graphic article/presentation allows for exploring the full analytic, metaphoric and atmospheric-favored potential of drawing, thus demonstrating its meaningfulness as a primary tool in academic research, and therefore going beyond hegemonic text-centric methodological and representational models.