Care Work

A collection of essays on the meaning of providing care, addressing 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 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 day-care on their own, and their children. The main goal of this book is to reconceive the notion of care work, beginning with steps as simple as replacing the phrase “caregiver” with the phrase “care worker”.

Author Biography

Madonna Harrington Meyer is Associate Professor of Sociology, and Senior Research Associate, at the Center for Policy Research, at Syracuse University. Her research focuses on old age policy in the United States and appears in such journals as the American SociologicalReview, Journal of Health and Social Policy, Gender andSociety, and Social Problems