Looking at Anxiety from the Eyes of Domestic Workers: The Covid-19 Pandemic of 2020 Experience in Istanbul

Abstract

In this phenomenological study, it was attempted to carry out an in-depth investigation of the anxiety experiences of domestic workers, who were working as housekeepers but could not continue their work life during the COVID-19 outbreak. Through this, it was aimed to reveal their experiences regarding the anxiety they experienced during the pandemic process. In this study, in which the criterion sampling method was used, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 16 domestic worker women between the ages of 30–42. The 4-step data analysis process in Giorgi’s descriptive phenomenology pattern was used in the analyses. The descriptive phenomenological analysis revealed five main themes that describe the participants’ experiences: i) anxiety symptoms, ii) financial difficulties, iii) interfamilial relationships, iv) uncertainty and v) emotions that accompany anxiety. The main themes obtained by this research were similar to the sources of anxiety, its components and the emotions accompanying anxiety mentioned in the literature. During the quarantine days, it was seen that the most intense emotion experienced by domestic workers was anxiety. Although the lockdown and unemployment experiences of each participant is unique, it was determined that the most important determinants of this were economic problems due to the lack of job security.