The other side of the kitchen door: Domestic service in Lima, Peru

Domestic service refers to the work required to complete duties pertaining to the maintenance and functioning of the household, particularly when performed by employed labor. This study provides an ethnographic account of domestic service through an analysis of social behavior and cultural patterns. The participants in the social structure of domestic service are the señora (the lady of the house), her family, and the empleadas (domestic workers) all of whom have specific social identities and roles within the household. The señora/empleada dyad is central to the institution and all other participants are secondary. This study contributes to the growing body of work in anthropology that concentrates on elite sectors of society and explores theoretical issues relating to gender, class, and ethnic differences in Peru.