Key Concepts

Overview

Care is a diverse and evolving concept. It is taken as a natural part of life yet it is shaped by philosophical, ideological, political and economic arguments concerning its definition and purpose as well as how, where and to whom it is provided and funded.

This highly accessible book provides an introduction to the concept of care, mapping out and unravelling the complex debates that surround its theory and practice. Key aspects of care, such as boundaries, cultural and geographical spheres of care, the ethics of care and citizenship, are explored in full. For social workers, nurses and those engaged in social care the book also aims to deepen understanding of professional experiences, assumptions and values by examining practice and decision-making. Appropriate practice scenarios and issues appear throughout to encourage the reader to reflect on professional issues including the risks associated with care, care management, partnership working, ecological and empowerment approaches. The book concludes with a framework for a reconceptualisation of care, located within the challenges of technological advances and globalisation.

Care will appeal to students in the social and health sciences and social care professions and anyone reflecting on the importance of care in their work.

About the Author

Judith Phillips is Professor of Social Work and Gerontology at the University of Swansea.

Table of Contents

• 1. An Introduction to Care
• 2. Definitions and boundaries, meanings and identities
• 3. The social policy of care
• 4. The Care Relationship: Do Families Care?
• 5. Changing gendered notions of care: Is caring still a feminist issue?
• 6. Culture and ethnicity: Is care culturally and ethnically sensitive?
• 7. The Geography of Care
• 8. Professional debates surrounding care
• 9. The Risks of Care: Abuse and Neglect
• 10. Reconceptualising Care
• References
• Index

Endorsements

“Judith Phillips’s book takes a fresh look at the much debated and researched concept of care. The author not only reviews current thinking on the subject and what has shaped that thinking but also provides some interesting new perspectives.”

— Julia Johnson, Open University

“Care counts at a number of levels. This book engages the reader in numerous ways by tracking the development of social care, exploring its relevance to professional practice and public services and posing a set of questions about its future. Judith Phillips cogently analyses “care”. Her volume will be a key resource for students, researchers and practitioners in understanding the perplexities of the subject.”

— Jill Manthorpe, King’s College, London