Ramaswami Mahalingam is a Professor of Psychology at University of Michigan, MI. Detailed profile can be found at here.
University of Michigan, MI
February 29, 2024
Dignity, culture and Janitorial work: An intersectionality perspective
In this talk, I will present a framework to study dignity in the workplace. Using this framework, I will present my cross-cultural research on janitorial work. My research uses mixed methods to show that janitorial work is associated with low dignity. Janitors experience various kinds of dignity injuries which undermine their physical and psychological well-being. Often, the dignity injuries experienced by janitors are “invisible.” Precarious working conditions also contribute to the invisibility of mistreatment and dignity violations experienced by janitors. Intersections of caste, gender, culture, and social class shape how janitors cope with dignity injuries and assert their agency. I will discuss the importance of improving the working conditions of janitors.
