New forms of family care in cultural and institutional contexts. Introduction to the Special Collection

Abstract

Objective: This special collection aims to contribute to theory and research on the cultural and institutional contexts of care and on the relationship between care policies, gender and the family. Background: Since the 1990s, many European welfare states have not only extended social rights and infrastructure related to extra-familial care, but have also expanded support for care by family members. So far, research on family care in the context of contemporary care policies remains scarce. Method: The special collection’s seven articles present theoretical debates related to family care and apply research on cross-national differences and intergroup differences using a variety of quantitative and qualitative methods. Results: By taking a multidimensional perspective on family care for older people, the special collection offers new insights into institutional and cultural family care contexts, the social risks and scope of action connected with family care and the consequences of the development of care policies for the relationship between family, gender and care. Conclusion: The special collection demonstrates that the systematic analysis of the development of family care in its institutional and cultural contexts, as well as the consequences for the development of social risks and scope of action connected with family care, enhances our understanding of the changing relationship between family, gender and care.