Service Space
Esther Lorenz
Hong Kong is a fast developing city, driven by the forces of the global market. The related process of continuous optimization is also reflected in the situation of domestic workers in Hong Kong. This paper shows how this social insertion is expressed spatially as well-fitting plug-in-part within Hong Kong’s private and public spaces, perfectly integrated economically, and sharply segregated socially. It shows the situation of the individual as a result of a pragmatic solution within a global economic network, which is oscillating between mutual benefit and discriminating exploitation. The maids not only form a backbone of Hong Kong’s social and economic life, through their forced exhibitionism they strongly contribute to the formation of the city’s urban culture.
Read the full paper here.
Esther Lorenz
Hong Kong is a fast developing city, driven by the forces of the global market. The related process of continuous optimization is also reflected in the situation of domestic workers in Hong Kong. This paper shows how this social insertion is expressed spatially as well-fitting plug-in-part within Hong Kong’s private and public spaces, perfectly integrated economically, and sharply segregated socially. It shows the situation of the individual as a result of a pragmatic solution within a global economic network, which is oscillating between mutual benefit and discriminating exploitation. The maids not only form a backbone of Hong Kong’s social and economic life, through their forced exhibitionism they strongly contribute to the formation of the city’s urban culture.
Read the full paper here.