2022 Theses Master's

I am [not] your [m]other / I Am Your Nanny

Scott, Courtney

I am [not] your [m]other / “I Am Your Nanny” is an oral history project about career nannies working in New York. It is an exploration that combines oral history, poetry, prose, film, and mixed media. Through the first-person testimonies of nannies, I hope to build on the work of black feminist scholars, such as Patricia Hill Collins and Dorothy E. Baker, who have examined the domestic work of caring for children under many different titles– mother, care-worker, othermother, nanny, and mother-worker. My goal is to uplift the voices of nannies, so that we might question how caretaking and nurturance can be woven into our collective understanding of both mothering and legitimate work. My hope is that by witnessing these testimonies through multiple mediums, my audience will better understand the sacrifice and deep love that being a nanny involves.

Keywords: domestic work, care work, childcare, immigration, race, class, mothering