Precarity of Subsistence: Social Reproduction Among South African Nurses

ABSTRACT The concept of precarity extends beyond insecure wage work into the conditions of social reproduction: supporting dependents can expose even securely employed, relatively well-paid workers to precarity. Qualitative data from public hospital nurses in Johannesburg reveal how responsibility for social reproduction can contribute to precarity among women in some contexts. This study maps nurses’ household networks to obtain a conservative estimate of dependency. Excerpts from interviews demonstrate how responsibilities are converted into precarity through household networks across different marital statuses, household structures, and ages. HIGHLIGHTS Securely employed, professional women may have precarious lives. Familial dependency can induce precarity among black women employed in nursing in South Africa. South African nurses were distressed prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Gendered value systems and norms contribute to precarious subsistence. Universal basic income could mitigate micro-level crises of social reproduction.