Daily Labors
Marketing Identity and Bodies on a New York City Street Corner
Carolyn Pinedo-Turnovsky author
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Temple University Press,U.S.
Published:8th Mar '19
Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back
This insightful ethnography explores the lives of day laborers, revealing their struggles and contributions within the labor market. Daily Labors sheds light on complex social dynamics.
On street corners across the nation, individuals patiently gather, waiting for opportunities to be hired as day laborers. These men, often from diverse backgrounds, symbolize the evolving landscape of work and the shifting demographics of the American workforce. In Daily Labors, Carolyn Pinedo-Turnovsky delves into the lives of these workers, revealing their stories and the complexities of their experiences as they seek employment in a challenging environment.
Over the course of nearly three years, Pinedo-Turnovsky immersed herself in the lives of African American and Latino men searching for work at a busy intersection in Brooklyn. Her ethnographic study highlights how these individuals are not merely passive participants in the labor market but active agents striving for social and economic change. Through their daily efforts, they construct knowledge and contribute to their communities while navigating the often harsh realities of their work.
Daily Labors uncovers the intricate dynamics of race, gender, nationality, and legal status that influence the experiences of these workers. Pinedo-Turnovsky illustrates how they adapt their identities to meet the expectations of employers, leading to a paradox where the pursuit of acceptance often results in increased vulnerability and exploitation. Ultimately, this work offers insights into notions of belonging and community, redefining what it means to be a “good day laborer” in today’s society.
"This ethnographic study of a community of day laborers who sought work at an intersection in Brooklyn, New York, deepens our understanding of not only how the labor market for this important, precarious form of employment functions but also how-despite the constraints produced by hierarchies created on the basis of race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, immigration, and legality-workers maintain a sense of dignity and agency. By so doing, Pinedo-Turnovsky’s study enhances our knowledge of how structural conditions affect individuals’ interactions."-Arne L. Kalleberg, Kenan Distinguished Professor of Sociology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and author of Precarious Lives: Job Insecurity and Well-Being in Rich Democracies
“A formidable account of the lives of day laborers in early twenty-first-century New York City, Daily Labors makes an important contribution to the literature on migration and urban studies. Pinedo-Turnovsky’s book is a uniquely valuable resource for scholars and students of the ethnography of contemporary work and labor.”-Immanuel Ness, Professor of Political Science, Brooklyn College, City University of New York, and author of Southern Insurgency: The Coming of the Global Working Class
ISBN: 9781439917435
Dimensions: 229mm x 152mm x 15mm
Weight: unknown
238 pages