Care Work

Care, or concern for others, is an area of conflict, tension and domination. This is particularly true of paid assistance and care work, which is essentially performed by subaltern, overexploited women. This subalternity is the product of situations of migration that de-skill people and make them more vulnerable when working conditions deteriorate. There is an urgent need for a political transformation of work and society by placing care at the centre of the debate on work. This book is based on an in-depth study carried out in a nursing home in the Paris region. Empathy for residents can never be understood in isolation from practical, ethical and organisational conflicts. The ethical dimension of care work is highlighted, and the author brings psychology and moral philosophy into dialogue with the voices of care workers.