Caring on the Clock: Complexities and Contradictions of Paid Care Work

Abstract

genealogies of incest, where many of the women have been abused at some point by an older male relative or one relative has abused several of the young women in the family. The chapter on the men’s stories is excruciatingly painful to read. The violence that these individuals experienced is palpable. Yet, GonzálezLópez again tells a structural account noting that for many of the men, unlike women, there is a consent–coercion continuum. Some of these men participated in incestuous relationships with a cousin, often a peer, but many were also raped and abused by other family members, especially if they were cast as weak, gay, or feminine. González-López makes an important case for thinking about the role of children in Mexican society. She argues that children are seen as extensions of parents—lacking their own personhood and agency. Moreover, children are seen as essentially desexualized. These two constructions of childhood create the perfect context for disempowering a child who comes forth with allegations of abuse and hinders parents’ ability to protect their children’s sexuality. The author ends the book with a reflection of Mexico’s current political moment, which is saturated with narco-violence. She suggests that this statewide violence might influence the way women, children, and LGBT communities are socially situated and perhaps, cause more violence. She makes an interesting case for studying the relationship between state-level violence, sexual violence, and incest. González-López should be applauded for the care in which she treats her respondents’ stories, the emotional labor that it takes to do this type of work, and the sociological account that makes sense of these stories. This should serve as an example to graduate students and scholars who aspire to tackle delicate issues in an ethical and responsible fashion.