Precarity and Roma

Written by:  Elsemieke Koper, Sara Ligtvoet, Yael Prenger, Christiaan van Romondt

Originally Published May 2025

Introduction

Precarity: ‘a state of persistent uncertainty or insecurity with regard to employment, income, and living standards’, as stated by the Oxford English Dictionary. The word precarity, introduced in the English vocabulary in circa 1910, is derived from the French précarité, which was coined in 1823 (Precarity, n.; TLFi). In German, this word is known as Prekarität (Reutner 237), which became known in its current in academic usage from 1983 onward. Unlike the mentioned languages, Dutch lacks a direct noun equivalent. It only uses the adjective precair, first noted in 1909 (Chronologisch woordenboek; Van Dale), and has limited semantic elaboration or academic usage. This absence of a full noun form may suggest that the concept of precarity—particularly as a socio-political and economic condition—has not been linguistically or culturally foregrounded in the same way in Dutch discourse. What the English, German and French definition have in common, conveys an unsure and unsafe situation that has impact on all aspects of life, hence why there’s work precarity and life precarity. In this entry, precarity will be divided into two kinds of precarity: work precarity and life precarity. Work precarity has to do with all the uncertain aspects of working. Like losing your job because of your boss or the work you do is not necessary any more et cetera. Life precarity is specified for insecurities in someone’s life, not specifically work related. Like living standards that might change. To place the concept in a specific context, we will further define precarity by elaborating on its manifestations in life and social situations, using examples from the film Roma. This award-winning film, directed by Alfonso Cuarón, is set in Mexico City in the early 1970s (De La Garza), a period marked by political unrest and social inequality. It follows the life of Cleo, an Indigenous live-in domestic worker, and the upper-middle-class family she works for—consisting of mother Sofía, father Antonio, their four children, and Sofía’s mother, Teresa. This historical and geographical context allows us to explore how precarity operates within intersecting structures of gender, class, and race. This entry will apply the concept of precarity to the situations of Cleo and Sofía in order to define, examine, and demonstrate how the intersectionality of precarity shapes their lives. By analysing how gender, class, race, and employment status intersect in the film Roma, we can better understand how different forms of vulnerability are interconnected and how they showing both domestic work and personal life. This approach reveals how precarity is not experienced in isolation, but rather as a layered and relational condition.  

Work precarity  

Work precarity is clearly visible in Roma. For instance, in Cleo’s situation. She is clearly lower class and depends on her job for food and shelter. ‘’For a long time, domestic work was not recognised as a job”, which made the job seem less vital. This is visible in the way Antonio – the father of the household- treats Cleo. He treats her as less important, reinforcing class and racial hierarchies that already place her in a precarious position. This hierarchy is not only visible in interactions, but also in the positioning of the camera; Cleo is often shown in the background or framed within doorways, visually emphasizing her marginal status within the household. These visual cues subtly reinforce the power imbalance between her and the family.  These power dynamics already increase the likelihood of being fired. This job uncertainty is part of Cleos the work precarity.  

In the film we see she her with a man (Roma 25:06-27:33) and then we see her find out that she is pregnant. She knows that being pregnant could be a reason for the family to fire her. This uncertainty of losing her job is an example of precarity because of the consequences of being fired, but she must tell this to her boss Sofía (Roma 42:16-46:10). She asks to speak to her and Sofía invites her to sit with her on the couch. Sofía inviting Cleo to sit and askes her to do things – e.g. bring tea or to clean the dog’s excrement on the patio – show their power dynamics. Linguistically this is visible as Cleo then says super softly “estoy con encargo”, which is translated in the subtitles as “I’m pregnant.” However, this Spanish phrase avoids the direct word for pregnancy, more closely meaning “I’m expecting.” The term “encargo” can also mean “burden” or “weight,” subtly emphasizing Cleo’s emotional load and her fear of losing her job. The fear of being fired is also visible in how the point of the camera is constructed, as well as it denotes Cleo’s precarity. The hierarchy in the household puts Cleo in a vulnerable position, but it also affects Sofía. Antonio gives orders through Sofía, expecting her to tell Cleo what to do. This makes Sofía an in-between figure, someone who passes on instructions and helps maintain the household’s rules about work. This shows that work precarity exists not just for Cleo, but also within the structure that controls her.  

If Cleo were to be fired, Sofía would have to do some of the domestic work herself, at least until she found someone new. This becomes more real when Cleo asks to speak with her and says that she is pregnant. Knowing this might be a reason to lose her job, Cleo carefully asks if Sofía is going to fire her. Sofía says she won’t, but the scene shows how uncertain and fragile Cleo’s situation really is.  

The scene’s visual composition deepens the meaning. Sofía invites Cleo to sit beside her on the couch—a rare act in the film. While they share the same space, Cleo must first be invited, which visually and socially signals the imbalance in power. The camera positions both women at eye level, so you feel like you are standing with them. Cleo’s quiet hesitation reflects her subordinate role. This layered depiction reveals how Cleo’s economic precarity is also emotional and symbolic.   

Another example to portray this is when Cleo overhears a phone call from her employer Sofía with her husband. The phone call is about the fact that her husband isn’t going to help her financially anymore, because he is in love with another woman (Roma: 01:26:00 – 01:26:46). For Sofía, this is a big problem because she needs to take care of her children. At first, she only worked part-time to take care of them. The situation of the husband providing money is very uncertain, because he can stop providing all of a sudden, which is exactly what happens in this scene. Sofía working part-time is insecure, she seems to prioritise her children over her job, so she can lose it any day. The husband that stops giving money, also has consequences for the precarity of Cleo. She depends on Sofía and her family, who depend on the husband. So the work situation for Cleo is uncertain all the time. If Sofía doesn’t have any money to spare, perhaps Cleo can lose her job. Or if she doesn’t do her job specifically the way the husband wants it to be done, she might lose it too.   

Life precarity 

A clear example of life precarity in Roma is the scene where Cleo tells Sofía she is pregnant (Roma 42:16-46:10). As a live-in domestic worker, Cleo knows her employment—and therefore her housing, income, and social security—depends on staying in her employer’s good graces. Her fear and hesitation reveal how fragile her position is: pregnancy could be seen as incompatible with her duties, and without a contract or legal protection, she is at risk of losing everything.  

However, the scene also highlights a different kind of precarity for Sofía. Her husband Antonio has left the family, and she is now responsible for raising four children on her own.  In this moment, she relies on Cleo not just for childcare, but for emotional stability and continuity in the household. Letting Cleo go would further disrupt the fragile balance of her life.  

Though they occupy different social positions – and Sofía is Cleo her boss- both women face instability shaped by gender roles, class dynamics, and abandonment. The scene powerfully shows how life precarity is experienced in unequal but connected ways. Cleo’s revelation threatens both her future and Sofía’s sense of order, making the moment a turning point for both women in a shared context of vulnerability.  

Precarity also takes form in the daily life of Sofía and Cleo. The father has a lot of authority in the household, as seen in the scene where he stops providing money for his family. But this goes even further in the daily lives of the people that live with him.  

To portray this, we look at the scene where the father is complaining about the work that the maids have not done properly, like the dog poop in the patio (Roma: 18:40-18:51). In this particular scene, we see him complaining to his wife in their bedroom, which gives the impression that he holds her directly responsible for the state of the household, and by proxy Cleo for not fulfilling her duty for the work she was assigned to do. These conversations show the precariousness of the patron – worker relationship. Indeed, the father’s opinion is crucial for Cleo in maintaining her position, with Sofia as intermediary. Indeed, this exchange shows how responsibility travels down the household hierarchy, from husband to wife to maid, making each position more precarious depending on the one above.   

Conclusion   

 Roma illustrates how precarious work and precarious life are drawn together inside a single household governed by class, gender and racial hierarchies. Cleo, a live-in domestic worker, exemplifies how undervalued care labour leaves workers dependent on their employers for shelter, food and income, yet these gives them virtually no legal protection.   

Cleo’s pregnancy makes that fragility visible, because losing her job would immediately threaten her survival. At the same time, precarity also moves upward: Sofia’s apparent privilege evaporates when Antonio abandons the family and cuts off financial support. Suddenly, she relies on Cleo’s labour and presence to keep her children’s world intact, creating a mutual, though deeply unequal, dependence in which Cleo’s livelihood hangs on Sofia’s resources while Sofia’s household stability rests on Cleo’s care.  

The film’s key scenes reveal that patriarchal and class power relations – in which the father forms the top, the maid at the bottom – denying lasting security for Cleo and others who are socio-economically in the same position. Precarity emerges not as a singular issue, but as a relational web of uncertainty where any single disruption, whether it’s pregnancy or an affair, can undermine the entire fabric of one’s life, threatening employment, housing and family life alike. By showing how both worker and employer become entwined in the same fragile system, Roma exposes the shared but unequal vulnerability that defines their lives.   

Bibliography 

(Alphabetical & Per Language)

General  

De La Garza, Alejandro. “The Real History Behind the Movie Roma”. TIME, 12 februari 2019, time.com/5478382/roma-movie-mexican-history.   

Roma. Directed by Alfonso Cuarón, Espectáculos Fílmicos El Coyúl and Netflix, 22018.  

English  

Precarity, n. Oxford University Press, https://www.oed.com/dictionary/precarity_n. Accessed on May 19th, 2025.  

Dutch  

‘Precair’. Van Dale, Van Dale Uitgevers, https://www.vandale.nl/pages/gratis-woordenboek/precair. Accessed on May 19th, 2025.  

French  

‘Précarité’. Larousse, https://www.larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais/pr%C3%A9carit%C3%A9/63303. Accessed on May 10th, 2025.  

Trésor de la langue française informalisé (TLFi). ‘’Précarité’’. Centre National de Ressources Textuelles et lexicales 2012, www.cnrtl.fr/etymologie/précarité.   

German  

Kirsten, Guido. ‘Studying the Cinema of Precarity: An Introduction’. Precarity in European Film, vol. 1, De Gruyter, 2022, pp. 1–30. www.degruyterbrill.com, https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1515/9783110707816-001/html   

‘Prekarität’. Duden, Cornelsen Verlag, https://www.duden.de/rechtschreibung/Prekaritaet. Accessed on May 19th, 2025.  

Reutner, Ursula. ‘’5. Zur Einteilung und Raison d’être der Euphemismen.’’ Sprache und Tabu: Interpretationen zu französischen und italienischen Euphemismen. Max Niemeyer Verlag, 2009, pp. 155-392. DOI:  10.1515/9783484971219.155.