Intersecting Social Divisions and the Politics of Differentiation: Understanding Exclusionary Domestic Work Policy in the Netherlands

A special employment regulation excludes domestic workers in the Netherlands from most social and employment protection. Using a process tracing method, this article assesses why such an exclusionary policy has persisted in an otherwise inclusive welfare state. Going beyond the narrow class-based focus of dualization research, the article develops a framework for understanding the politics of differentiation by taking into account how intersecting social divisions based on class, gender, and citizenship shape political representation and ideas about legitimate inequalities. These intersecting social divisions explain why even potential political allies have not given priority to improving domestic workers’ rights.