From care to solidarity

Abstract

We face a crisis of elder care, and the language of care is part of the problem. Despite a sophisticated philosophical tradition of care thinking, we remain entangled in expectations of care as loving care, and these expectations hamper the worker/employer relations that are at the center of contemporary care. Turning to the language of solidarity helps us better understand care as work, helps build solidarity not only among workers but also between carers and the those they care for, between carers and families, and between young and old. Populating the social imaginary with stories and images of solidary care is central to the work of building broad generational solidarity.