Servitude and Separateness in the Time of Pandemic

Abstract This article explores the hierarchical organization of gendered and laboring bodies in domestic spaces in urban Bangladesh during the COVID -19 pandemic. While unemployment plagued various economic sectors arising from pandemic-related lockdowns and restrictions, demand for domestic labor remained consistent, albeit with new restrictions and enhanced surveillance of domestic workers. Based on a four-month study involving interviews and household surveys, this article examines how safety protocols and employment conditions and interactions provide insight into changing power relations within Bangladeshi households. The article identifies a dynamic interplay between servitude and separateness, with domestic workers subtly asserting their separateness to express their individuality and resistance to the arbitrary deployment of safety protocols imposed by employers. The pandemic underscored domestic workers’ resilience through preserving a sense of self within these intimate yet unequal spaces.