In a hegemonic system, the dominant class maintains its power and oppresses counter-hegemonic trends in two ways: through co-option or coercion. The ‘kafala‘ or ‘sponsorship’ system used in parts of the Middle East is an example of both of these. In Lebanon the Lebanese ‘sponsor’ is afforded the financial means to buy the labour of impoverished and vulnerable Migrant Domestic Workers (MDW). The state designates the sponsor and employer as responsible for the MDW, giving them expansive rights and privileges over their worker(s). The kafala offers limited protection to the MDW, who is then contracted into a form of indentured servitude.
The result is endemic violence, exploitation, and the creation of a new ‘subaltern’ class. This creates a division between working class groups. It provides Lebanese people, many of whom have been historically marginalised or traumatised through conflict, a means to have power over individuals or groups of people. In the words of Paulo Freire, “the oppressed, instead of striving for liberation, tend themselves to become oppressors.” Even though it is forbidden for sponsors to withhold employees’ passports, it is a common practice that asserts the nature of ownership in the kafala. Many employers do so because any crime committed by their employee becomes their responsibility. The misuse of power is evident through anti-Blackness and racism towards workers. With a stronghold and much entitlement, the hegemony is maintained whilst employers have their house cleaned, children fed, and meals cooked all for $0 – 400 a month.