SOCI 242 - Who Cares?

Semester Offered: Spring
1 unit(s)

(Same as AMST 242) The ongoing care crisis in America reveals major gaps and obstacles between care needs and care provision. What care obligations does the state have to support the welfare of its citizens? How can we make care more affordable and accessible? Can the provision of care be socially organized in a different way—safely and with dignity to caregivers? This multidisciplinary course explores how the social value of care has changed over time in modern US history and society through theoretical debates in feminist care ethics, empirical studies of feminized work and social welfare history. Topics to be discussed include racialized domestic work, political economy of childcare, aging and eldercare, disability activism and veterans benefits. Theoretical concerns involve the commodification of intimate life, the relationship between state, family, and market in welfare provision and social citizenship. Often evoked but rarely defined, this course helps students better understand what is meant when we talk about care. Amy Chin.

Two 75-minute periods.

Course Format: CLS