White uniform as a symbol of inequality: a study on babysitters at Leblon

Abstract

This paper intends to understand how the mandatory wearing of white uniforms by babysitters in the south side of the city of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil, is characterized by social segregation. The uniform as a social symbol “defines and determines” the position of invisibility and subordination occupied by these workers. Women who work as babysitters at Leblon, on the south side of the city of Rio de Janeiro, were interviewed for this study. Wearing the uniform is about the identification and safety of the worker. In the specific case of the babysitter, however, the uniform has a significant symbolism, which refers to submission, exclusion, and segregation.