Care Work: Gender, Labor, and the Welfare State

Care Work is a collection of original essays on the meaning of providing care. These essays address not only the work of caring for the elderly but also the work of caring for children, the infirm and those with disabilities. The essays will approach the topic from an ethical standpoint and also from a more practical, feminist and sociological point of view. For example, contributors examine the disturbing consequences of dismantling the welfare state for working women, who might not be able to afford daycare on their own, and their children. The main goal of the book is to reconceive the notion of care work, beginning with steps as simple as replacing the phrase "caregiver" with the phrase "care worker."