UNIVERSITY OF COLOGNE

Auerbach Lecture | 18.11.2024 | 18 Uhr

Raymund Vitorio (Sociolinguistics, Manila): #AuPairsInGermany. Contesting Precarity through the Mediatization of Emotions and Lived Experiences of Filipino Au Pairs in Germany

Au pairing is often characterized as a unique form of mobility centered on cultural exchange and emotional labor. This presentation explores how Filipino au pairs in Germany strategically navigate the global affective labor landscape using sociolinguistic resources. While previous research has largely critiqued au pairing as a site of precarity, less attention has been given to how au pairs strategically position themselves amid structures of inequality. Thus, this study analyzes how Filipino au pairs construct and portray their emotions and experiences on social media, examining how these platforms both reflect and influence their daily lives. Using a mixed-method approach that combines multimodal discourse analysis and ethnographic interviewing, with a focus on metacommunication, the study examines social media content (e.g., TikTok reels and interactions) and qualitative interviews with Filipino au pairs. The presentation advances two key points: first, that focusing on the mediatization of emotions and lived experiences can reveal the discursive formations surrounding au pairing and highlight how sociolinguistic resources reconfigure the material conditions of the daily lives of au pairs; second, that examining affective regimes can illuminate the sociolinguistic reinforcement of and resistance to precarity in au pairing. By treating the narratives of au pairs as a lens to understand the relationship between the self, the other, and the discursive world, this study emphasizes the significance of lived experiences and emotions in the sociolinguistic contestation of unequal relations. Ultimately, this presentation aims to demonstrate how a sociolinguistic investigation into the mediatization of emotions and experiences can provide critical insights into precarity and suggest sociolinguistic interventions for fostering sustainable international relations between Germany and the Philippines.

Ort & Zeit: Bibliothek Erich Auerbach Institut, Weyertal 59 (Rückgebäude, 3. OG), 50937 Köln |
Montag, 18.11.2024 | 18:00 Uhr