TY - JOUR
T1 - Demonising the cultural Other
T2 - Legitimising dehumanisation of foreign domestic helpers in the Hong Kong press
AU - Ladegaard, Hans J.
N1 - Funding Information:
The research reported in this article was supported by a General Research Grant from the University Grants Committee of Hong Kong [Grant no. HKBU/244211 ]. I wish to acknowledge the help of staff and volunteers at the Mission to Migrant Workers, and I want to thank Nicola Wong, Junius Santoso, and Febby Melissa for their hard work with the transcription and translation of data. I also want to thank the journal editor and two anonymous reviewers for useful feedback on an earlier version of this article. Any shortcomings that remain are of course my responsibility. Last but not least, I wish to express my sincere gratitude and appreciation to all the FDHs at Bethune House who willingly shared their stories with me and their friends. My admiration for them, for their courage, and for the sacrifices they are making for their families, goes far beyond words.
PY - 2013/9
Y1 - 2013/9
N2 - Recent research has provided evidence of the widespread abuse and exploitation of foreign domestic helpers (FDHs) in Hong Kong. This article explores how domestic abuse of foreign labour may be legitimised through public discourses. It analyses examples from the press of court cases involving FDHs, and compares the media's version of events with the domestic worker's story as it was recorded at a church shelter for abused migrant women. The analyses show that the press engages in positive us-presentation and negative them-presentation. Employers' crimes against FDHs are consistently mitigated and explained, whereas FDHs' offences against their employers are characterised as evil actions committed by 'aliens' with a flawed character. The article argues that FDHs are dehumanised in the press which contributes to their moral exclusion. Thus, a culture of indifference has developed where public and private discourses construct FDHs as non-entities, expendable and undeserving, and therefore, exploiting them is widely seen as acceptable and just. •The Hong Kong press engages in positive us-presentation and negative them-presentation.•Foreign domestic helpers are portrayed as 'aliens' with 'strange' beliefs.•Local employers' crimes against foreign domestic helpers are mitigated.•Foreign domestic helpers are demonised in the press.•Media narratives about foreign domestic helpers legitimise their dehumanistation.
AB - Recent research has provided evidence of the widespread abuse and exploitation of foreign domestic helpers (FDHs) in Hong Kong. This article explores how domestic abuse of foreign labour may be legitimised through public discourses. It analyses examples from the press of court cases involving FDHs, and compares the media's version of events with the domestic worker's story as it was recorded at a church shelter for abused migrant women. The analyses show that the press engages in positive us-presentation and negative them-presentation. Employers' crimes against FDHs are consistently mitigated and explained, whereas FDHs' offences against their employers are characterised as evil actions committed by 'aliens' with a flawed character. The article argues that FDHs are dehumanised in the press which contributes to their moral exclusion. Thus, a culture of indifference has developed where public and private discourses construct FDHs as non-entities, expendable and undeserving, and therefore, exploiting them is widely seen as acceptable and just. •The Hong Kong press engages in positive us-presentation and negative them-presentation.•Foreign domestic helpers are portrayed as 'aliens' with 'strange' beliefs.•Local employers' crimes against foreign domestic helpers are mitigated.•Foreign domestic helpers are demonised in the press.•Media narratives about foreign domestic helpers legitimise their dehumanistation.
KW - Critical discourse analysis
KW - Elite racism
KW - Foreign domestic helpers
KW - Media language
KW - Moral exclusion
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84882808670&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.dcm.2013.06.002
DO - 10.1016/j.dcm.2013.06.002
M3 - Journal article
AN - SCOPUS:84882808670
SN - 2211-6958
VL - 2
SP - 131
EP - 140
JO - Discourse, Context and Media
JF - Discourse, Context and Media
IS - 3
ER -