The Social Ecology of Caregiving

Catalog description

Care and caregiving are aspects of daily life; furthermore, each of us depends upon care and caregiving at various times throughout our lives. Yet, care remains hidden and devalued in our current sociopolitical climate, with women continuing to provide a majority of care. In this course, we will look at care both as an orientation and as an activity provided by family and friends to people with disabilities and older adults. Utilizing Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory as a framework, we will explore the multilevel experiences of family caregivers. Specifically, the course will focus on caregiving triads in all their diversity, as well as paid caregivers and care receivers living with a variety of chronic illnesses. This course will take an interdisciplinary approach and introduce students to the various literature on family caregiving. From psychology to public health, we will consider care as a reciprocal process that ebbs and flows throughout the course of life. We will read across disciplines from feminist theory, critical disabilities studies, psychology, and public health, as well as look at how care is portrayed in popular culture, film, and books. Students will learn about multilevel interventions, such as individual and policy responses geared toward supporting family caregivers, as well as organizations and social movements dedicated to creating better conditions of care for all. Finding Happiness and Keeping It: Insights From Psychology and Neuroscience