The rationality of voluntary care work: light and shadow of volunteering in Germany's care sector

Author:

Haubner TineORCID

Abstract

PurposeIn the context of a care crisis in Germany, care work done by volunteers is increasingly being semi-formalized by the state and used in professional care work contexts to relieve families and professionals. However, voluntary care has not yet been adequately studied from a care-specific perspective. This study examines in what way voluntary care can be considered decent care from a care-ethical and empirical perspective.Design/methodology/approachConsidering findings of a qualitative interview study, the study examines the special features of voluntary care, addresses its socio-political expansion, and asks about the decency of voluntary care in elder care and social work.FindingsCare work done by volunteers is a special kind of care work, which has advantages but also disadvantages regarding care-ethical requirements of decent care. The study examines under which conditions voluntary care violates these requirements and how this can be countered in socio-political terms.Originality/valueVoluntary care is an under-researched phenomenon despite its increasing socio-political importance. While its state-led expansion can informalize and deprofessionalize care work at the expense of users, professionals, and volunteers, its analysis can help to illuminate the preconditions for decent care.

Publisher

Emerald

Subject

General Economics, Econometrics and Finance,Sociology and Political Science

Reference37 articles.

1. Adloff, F. and Mau, S. (Eds) (2005), Vom Geben und Nehmen, Zur Soziologie der Reziprozität, Frankfurt am Main, Campus.

2. Anttonen, A. and Zechner, M. (2011), “Theorizing care and care work”, in Pfau-Effinger, B. and Rostgaard, T. (Eds), Care between Work and Welfare in European Societies, Palgrave Macmillan, London, pp. 15-34, doi: 10.1057/9780230307612.

3. Frauen – die heimliche Ressource der Sozialpolitik;WSI-Mitteilungen,1991

Cited by 1 articles. 订阅此论文施引文献 订阅此论文施引文献,注册后可以免费订阅5篇论文的施引文献,订阅后可以查看论文全部施引文献

1. Promotion, public policies and decent work: how to foster community cohesion and common vision?;Journal of Enterprising Communities: People and Places in the Global Economy;2023-09-05

同舟云学术

1.学者识别学者识别

2.学术分析学术分析

3.人才评估人才评估

"同舟云学术"是以全球学者为主线,采集、加工和组织学术论文而形成的新型学术文献查询和分析系统,可以对全球学者进行文献检索和人才价值评估。用户可以通过关注某些学科领域的顶尖人物而持续追踪该领域的学科进展和研究前沿。经过近期的数据扩容,当前同舟云学术共收录了国内外主流学术期刊6万余种,收集的期刊论文及会议论文总量共计约1.5亿篇,并以每天添加12000余篇中外论文的速度递增。我们也可以为用户提供个性化、定制化的学者数据。欢迎来电咨询!咨询电话:010-8811{复制后删除}0370

www.globalauthorid.com

TOP

Copyright © 2019-2024 北京同舟云网络信息技术有限公司
京公网安备11010802033243号  京ICP备18003416号-3