Care Work

Catalog description

What kind of work is care work? Is it a form of labor? Love? Is caretaking a social or individual responsibility? And who pays for it? This course will question the role of caretaking in modern societies through a range of literary and sociological texts. We will begin with the premise that caretaking is both fundamental to a functioning society and also grossly devalued. This devaluation is marked by the poor pay associated with caretaking professions, as well as the gendering and racializing of caretaking responsibilities. This course will draw on recent writing in disability studies, gender studies, political theory, and ethnic studies—as well as literary works including novels, poems, comics, and memoirs—to consider the experience of the men and women performing care work and those who require their care. We will discuss terms, such as “self-care,” which have become commonplace but that we often encounter as marketing concepts that have been stripped of their origins. This course will aim to situate the concept of caring into historical, political, and aesthetic contexts. Readings and assignments will encourage students to imagine the future of care work in a changing society. This course will involve community engagement with the Wartburg Adult Care Community in Mount Vernon, New York. Global Surrealisms