30.10.2023 Care#

Care: all activities and relations needed for existence and wellbeing of societies

  • unpaid and paid activities to meet needs / reproduce workforce

  • Healtcare, education, domestic work, social care

Relational Care#

Care = basic human capability for basic human need

  • characterized as private matter

  • even though needed for function of society

Relational Nature of Care:

  • intimate relationships

  • Non commodifiable

Limits of Commodification:

  • Care logic \(\neq\) profit oriented economy

  • no clear boundaries / measurable

Care Economy#

Care = fundamental contribution to economy

  • creating jobs directly (healthcare, education)

  • enabling other sectors (domestic work)

  • Global Care Workforce: 380 Million workers (2/3 women)

Unpaid Care Work:

  • non-market non-renumerated activities

  • est. 9% GDP World

Paid Care Work

  • low wages / poor working conditions

  • care pay penalty (to other sectors)

  • precarious / exploitation

Gender Inequality#

Estimated with Time-Use-Surveys

  • questions regarding 24h Time Use

  • quality differs across country

Intergenerational Care:

  • grandparents = large % of informal care

  • higher country GDP = more state provied = lower grandparent share

  • often due to skipped generations (migration)

Care Impact on Women

  • barrier to participation

  • affect girls education

  • flexible work = some help

Care Investment#

Context: Demographic Changes

  • classify child care expenditure as Public Investment

  • high return of investing in childcare

Economic Return:

  • high employment impact

    • better than construction

  • 2% GDP => 2% to 4% labor force expansion

  • multiplier effects on other sectors (higher productivity)

  • narrows gender employment gap