4 ms·

Singapore actually does have a very big social housing program. And gets women out into the workforce after childbirth by having maids.

roenxi 2y ago
> And gets women out into the workforce after childbirth by having maids. The gain there sounds a bit risky. The kid still needs a full time caregiver and the amount of time a human needs to put into housework hasn't changed - so there aren't direct improvements. There is an argument from letting people specialise, but the net change could easily be trading down the quality of the kid's life. Nothing wrong with that in principle but it isn't obviously a net win. Getting kids face-to-face time with a high-status and invested parent has to be worth a lot more to them than time with some maid. Outsourcing child rearing to a sort of capitalist factory farm seems like it could be a big picture mistake.
- infecto 2y ago
  The gotcha here is they import maids from developing SEA countries. Its probably a net positive for all parties but those maids get paid low (comparatively to the local market) but well enough compared to their homeland. They will leave their families to make money so they can send it back. Sometimes this power dynamic creates bad situations. Similar story in Hong Kong. So you can go back to a position that most definitely pays at least double what the maid is making and adding value to the economy. Edit: I have more knowledge on the HK side, the maid works long hours 6 days a week. On their day off they congregate downtown (at least used to) and socialize and create informal markets. Its not an easy life but they are able to send money back home.
  - esperent 2y ago
    > the maid works long hours 6 days a week It's probably exactly the same amount they'd be working back home. 6 days (legally) or even more (illegal but rarely/never enforced) is common in many industries across SEA, maid service assuredly being one of them, along with everything else in the hospitality and F&B industries.
    - infecto 2y ago
      It for certain is and like I said before, the arrangement is beneficial for both parties in most cases but I think its good to highlight because they are taking advantage of imported labor (which most countries do in some form).

roenxi 2y ago

> And gets women out into the workforce after childbirth by having maids. The gain there sounds a bit risky. The kid still needs a full time caregiver and the amount of time a human needs to put into housework hasn't changed - so there aren't direct improvements. There is an argument from letting people specialise, but the net change could easily be trading down the quality of the kid's life. Nothing wrong with that in principle but it isn't obviously a net win. Getting kids face-to-face time with a high-status and invested parent has to be worth a lot more to them than time with some maid. Outsourcing child rearing to a sort of capitalist factory farm seems like it could be a big picture mistake.

infecto 2y ago
The gotcha here is they import maids from developing SEA countries. Its probably a net positive for all parties but those maids get paid low (comparatively to the local market) but well enough compared to their homeland. They will leave their families to make money so they can send it back. Sometimes this power dynamic creates bad situations. Similar story in Hong Kong. So you can go back to a position that most definitely pays at least double what the maid is making and adding value to the economy. Edit: I have more knowledge on the HK side, the maid works long hours 6 days a week. On their day off they congregate downtown (at least used to) and socialize and create informal markets. Its not an easy life but they are able to send money back home.
- esperent 2y ago
  > the maid works long hours 6 days a week It's probably exactly the same amount they'd be working back home. 6 days (legally) or even more (illegal but rarely/never enforced) is common in many industries across SEA, maid service assuredly being one of them, along with everything else in the hospitality and F&B industries.
  - infecto 2y ago
    It for certain is and like I said before, the arrangement is beneficial for both parties in most cases but I think its good to highlight because they are taking advantage of imported labor (which most countries do in some form).